Joe Biden has said the United States will not lift its economic sanctions on Iran in order to get Tehran back to the negotiating table to discuss how to revive the Iran nuclear deal, The Guardian reports.
Biden says he won't lift sanctions to get Iran back to negotiating table
STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 8, ARTSAKHPRESS: Asked if the United States will lift sanctions first to get Iran back to the negotiating table, Biden replied: “no” in an interview with CBS News, which was recorded on Friday but released on Sunday ahead of the Super Bowl.
Donald Trump, the former president, unilaterally withdrew the US in 2018 from the atomic deal, which saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Biden has said he will seek to revive the deal, but insisted that Iran must first reverse its nuclear steps, creating a contest of wills between the nations.
Asked if Iran had to stop enriching uranium first, Biden nodded. It was not clear exactly what he meant, as Iran is permitted to enrich uranium under the 2015 nuclear deal within certain limits.
“Will the US lift sanctions first in order to get Iran back to the negotiating table?” CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell asked.
“No,” Biden responded.
“They have to stop enriching uranium first?” O’Donnell asked. Biden nodded.
Earlier on Sunday Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the US to lift all sanctions if it wants the country to live up to commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers, according to state TV.
