A senior nuclear negotiator says all sanctions must be lifted simultaneously under a final nuclear deal with the major powers.
"All sanctions must be lifted and dismantled simultaneously and the Islamic Republic will not accept that even one sanctions measure will remain in place under a comprehensive nuclear deal," Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday in response to US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's recent remarks about the talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) on a long-term settlement of the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
Sherman said on Friday Iran would be seen to be responsible if a comprehensive nuclear deal is not reached by the November 24 deadline.
"We hope the leaders in Tehran will agree to the steps necessary to assure the world that this program will be exclusively peaceful and thereby end Iran’s economic and diplomatic isolation and improve further the lives of their people," she said.
"If that does not happen, the responsibility will be seen by all to rest with Iran," she claimed.
Sherman also said, "The world will decide to suspend and then lift nuclear-related sanctions only if and when Iran takes convincing and verifiable steps to show that its nuclear program is and will remain entirely peaceful."
Araqchi said Iran will not relinquish its nuclear rights, although it is ready to take transparency measures to build up confidence with regard to its nuclear activities, the Fars news agency reported.
In addition, he said Iran's nuclear capabilities will be maintained, no nuclear facilities will be shut down or dismantled, the country's uranium enrichment program will continue, and the nuclear research program will remain intact under the final nuclear accord.
Elsewhere, he said in view of the difficult course of the negotiations, the "outlook for the talks is not bright," so making excessive demands publically not only will not help advance the talks, but it will make it more difficult to reach an agreement by the target date.
US to Blame If Talks Fail
A senior lawmaker also said on Friday the United States would be to blame if the talks between Iran and the major powers failed to reach a conclusion, IRNA reported. "If an agreement is not signed, it will be as clear as day that the excessive demands of the Americans have been the cause of the failure of the talks because the Islamic Republic of Iran has met all its commitments over the past few months" said MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
Commenting on Sherman's remarks, a member of the Majlis Presiding Board also told the Mehr news agency that Iran has never accepted the suspension of sanctions and has been seeking to secure the total lifting of them. Hossein Sobhaninia said the most important matter for Iran is the total lifting of sanctions, adding he believes the nuclear negotiators will not make a compromise in this regard.
