Rouhani: Economic Sanctions Must Be Lifted on the Day of Agreement Implementation

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, reiterated on Thursday, April 20, that Iran will sign 'no agreement' with the 1+5 group unless 'all economic sanctions are completely lifted' on the first day of the 'implementation' of this agreement. Rouhani had previously stated that 'all sanctions and six Security Council resolutions will be lifted from the day of the nuclear agreement's implementation.' Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, also mentioned on April 15 that the United States is obligated to lift sanctions against Iran following the UN Security Council resolution. However, according to Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, the Obama administration opposes lifting sanctions on the same day that a potential nuclear agreement is implemented. Just one day after the nuclear understanding between Iran and the 1+5 group in Lausanne, Switzerland, Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, described the timing of lifting Iran's sanctions as 'complex' and emphasized that no agreement had yet been reached on this matter. According to the Lausanne understanding, the European Union will terminate economic and financial sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program, and the United States will suspend the implementation of secondary financial and economic sanctions related to the nuclear issue simultaneously with the implementation of Iran's major nuclear commitments, as verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to the state news agency IRNA, Rouhani also regarded the 'nuclear agreement' as 'the first step in constructive engagement with the world' and stated that this constructive engagement would benefit 'the East, West, and the region.' He emphasized, 'We will continue this path until the final success, of which a significant step has been taken today in Lausanne, and other steps will also be taken.' The Iranian President reiterated that Iran seeks to 'assert its rights and achieve a win-win result' in nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 countries. He also addressed Western countries, saying, 'Why did you kill our scientists?... Why did you sanction us? Why did you sanction medicine and wheat? Why did you sanction financial transactions?' He added, 'You acted inhumanely, and your path was incorrect; did you think that with illegal sanctions and pressure, you could subdue a nation that has made history and culture?' After the initial agreement in Lausanne, Iran and the 1+5 group have until the end of June (in three months) to draft a final agreement. Meanwhile, Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, described the drafting of the agreement as 'a very complex and difficult task.' He also announced Iran's contacts with Helga Schmid, the Deputy Political Chief of the EU's foreign policy, to determine the time and place of the next round of nuclear talks. According to Araqchi, these negotiations will take place at the level of deputy foreign ministers, but before July, 'at some point,' the presence of foreign ministers will be needed in multilateral and bilateral discussions.