White House: Lifting of Iran Sanctions Will Be Gradual if Nuclear Agreement is Reached

The White House reacted to the statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, emphasizing that if a nuclear agreement is reached with Iran, the lifting of sanctions will be gradual. Benjamin Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor, stated on Friday, April 21, that under the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group, sanctions will be lifted over time, not all at once. According to him, the recent remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, reflect pressure from hardliners within Iran, but they cannot be interpreted as indicating that a nuclear agreement is unattainable. Ayatollah Khamenei expressed skepticism about negotiations with the U.S. again on Thursday, stating that he neither supports the Lausanne nuclear understanding nor opposes it. He also emphasized the lifting of sanctions from the day the potential nuclear agreement is implemented, a position that Hassan Rouhani has reiterated. Mr. Rouhani stated that Iran will sign 'no agreement' with the P5+1 unless all 'economic sanctions' are lifted on the first day of the 'implementation' of this agreement. However, Ben Rhodes asserts that 'it is very clear and understandable that the lifting of sanctions will be gradual.' This White House official also noted that Barack Obama has indicated that if the final details are not within this framework, no agreement will be reached. Previously, a U.S. State Department spokesperson also emphasized that the lifting of Iran's sanctions will be gradual and will occur when Iran fulfills its commitments. Meanwhile, Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, described the issue of lifting Iran's sanctions as complicated and stated that no agreement has been reached on this matter yet. According to the set deadline, Iran and the P5+1 group, consisting of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany, have until June 30 to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement.