Shamkhani: Lifting All Sanctions Must Be Considered in Final Nuclear Agreement

Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, stated that "the lifting of all unjust sanctions and the enjoyment of all legal rights within the framework of the NPT must be considered in any nuclear agreement, and internal disputes of countries and excessive demands will not affect the will of the Iranian negotiating team." Before Shamkhani, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also mentioned that "if one of the countries in the 1+5 group has internal problems and has won or lost in elections, it is not our concern, and each country must resolve its internal issues." It seems that these two senior officials of the Islamic Republic are referring to the Republican Party's gaining majority in the U.S. Congress, which is known for its hardline stance against Tehran regarding Iran's nuclear program. The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported that on Sunday, November 25, Shamkhani emphasized the peaceful nature of "all of Iran's nuclear activities from the beginning until now" during a meeting with Meng Jianchao, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. This statement comes as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced that the Islamic Republic has yet to respond to two ambiguities regarding its nuclear program, which could be related to the construction of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, according to the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the Islamic Republic has acted with "complete goodwill and within the framework of the Joint Action Plan" and that if the other side adopts a logical, non-political, and reality-based approach, reaching an agreement in the nuclear negotiations will be quickly achievable. Iran, the U.S., France, the UK, China, Russia, and Germany have set December 3 as a deadline for reaching a final agreement on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. The latest round of talks took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and according to officials from all sides, disagreements still remain, and it is unclear whether a comprehensive and final agreement can be reached by December 3.