Deputy Foreign Minister: Sanctions Must Be Lifted on the First Day of Agreement Implementation

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran in Vienna, the technical negotiations on the nuclear issue have concluded at this stage, and currently, the deputies of both sides are negotiating. Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, told Iranian reporters present in Vienna on Thursday, July 2, that "there may be one or two remaining issues that require the decision of the foreign ministers of the 5+1 countries and Iran." According to this Iranian Foreign Ministry official, "financial and economic sanctions must be completely lifted on the first day of the agreement's implementation by both parties, and Iran has repeatedly emphasized that it demands the lifting of sanctions immediately after reaching an agreement." A member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team also announced to reporters: "We are in the final days of negotiations, and we do not know exactly when they will conclude. We are currently at a stage where negotiations are very intense." According to IRNA news agency, the Deputy Foreign Minister stated that "meetings start early in the morning and continue until late at night. Even after the negotiations with the other side end, our internal meetings start late at night." Mr. Takht-Ravanchi mentioned the possibility that resolving some issues may require ministerial meetings, stating: "We anticipate that a few key issues will remain for the ministers to address in the final days." Regarding the details of these issues, he said: "Let me not get into the details, but these are key topics that require higher-level attention. These are issues that cannot be resolved at the expert and deputy levels." Additionally, a reporter from the Tasnim website reported from Vienna that Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, stated in response to reporters on the balcony of the Coburg Hotel that "the negotiations are moving forward." The negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group continue in Vienna. The parties have extended the deadline for reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement until July 6.