All sanctions must go before final deal, says Iranian Foreign Minister
Zarif said no good agreement can be achieved with the threat of sanctions hanging over Iran.
By REUTERSUS Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pose for a photograph before resuming talks over Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne March 16, 2015.(photo credit: REUTERS)
As US Secretary of State John Kerry is to ask Congress for more time to negotiate a final nuclear deal with Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday (April 14) the sanctions imposed on his country should be lifted in the first stage of the deal.Zarif said no good agreement can be achieved with the threat of sanctions hanging over Iran."... As long as this instrument of coercion and pressure is kept there, I think people will never have the peace of mind that is needed in order to implement a good agreement," Zarif said.Zarif insisted all sanctions must go in the first stage of the deal."So what you need to do is to keep, to hold the government of the United States accountable for its international obligations and governments are accountable for their international obligations. So, as far as the agreement goes, whatever happens inside the US and however they want to spin it, all the sanctions, economic and financial sanctions that have been imposed on Iran by the UN, by the EU and by the United States must go in the first stage."A final deal was 'very close' but mentality needed to change, Zarif added.Kerry will make the case this week to skeptical Republicans and Democrats that the U.S. Congress should give him another 2-1/2 months to secure a final nuclear deal with IranAn April 2 framework nuclear deal Iran struck with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States seeks to limit the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. A final deal is due by June 30.
