Zarif in New York: Sanctions Against Iran Will Be Lifted Days After Agreement

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Wednesday, April 29, that if a final agreement is reached by June 30, sanctions against Iran will be lifted within days. This comes as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State has indicated that even after reaching a final agreement, some time will be needed for implementation. Speaking at New York University, Zarif asserted that signing the nuclear agreement with Iran would lead to the lifting of United Nations, European Union, and U.S. sanctions against Tehran within days. His remarks follow statements from Iranian officials in recent weeks emphasizing that all sanctions against Tehran must be lifted immediately upon reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement. According to Reuters, Zarif elaborated on this issue, stating, "If we reach an agreement by June 30, a resolution will be passed in the Security Council under Article 41 of Chapter VII of the UN Charter within days, which will be binding for all members." He added that this resolution would endorse the mentioned agreement, annul previous UN sanctions, and initiate the process of lifting EU sanctions and ending U.S. sanctions. Reuters quoted some diplomats who noted that the new Security Council resolution would also reaffirm certain UN restrictions, including the ban on arms sales and the transfer of sensitive components related to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. Previously, in an interview with PBS, Zarif had stated more flexibly that sanctions would be lifted "as soon as Iran fulfills its commitments." These statements come amid U.S. and EU officials indicating that sanctions would be lifted in stages, following verification of Iran's actions by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The U.S. has stated that this verification could take months. Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, who is currently in India, responded on Wednesday to the question of whether all sanctions would be lifted simultaneously upon a final agreement, saying, "Even after reaching a final agreement, some time will still be needed for implementation." She emphasized that sanctions imposed on Iran for supporting terrorism and human rights violations would not be lifted even with a final nuclear agreement. Iran and six world powers, including the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the UK, along with Germany, have until the end of June to resolve their differences regarding the scope of Tehran's nuclear program and the method of lifting sanctions, and to sign a final agreement to clarify ambiguities related to this program. The parties have stated that they have begun drafting the text of this agreement and are set to resume discussions in New York on Thursday, April 30, after a brief pause. In his remarks at New York University, Zarif assured that the parties would resolve their differences, including the timing of lifting sanctions, by the end of the negotiation deadline. Zarif stated, "I don't think the problems are insurmountable. Everyone needs to be flexible and willing to compromise." According to the state news agency IRNA, he added, "Don't forget that we and the other side have invested significant political capital in these negotiations, and a failure of these talks would be a major loss for all parties." Zarif continued that this agreement may not satisfy everyone, but it is a good agreement. In another part of his speech, he referred to the seizure of a commercial ship and stated that the Islamic Republic is committed to freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf. He asserted that Iran respects international maritime laws and that freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf is essential for the Islamic Republic. On Tuesday, a commercial ship with 24 crew members flying the Marshall Islands flag was seized by Iran in the Persian Gulf. Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described the seizure of the ship as compliant with international regulations, citing its financial debt as the reason for the seizure.