On Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US agreed to lift most major sanctions on Iran during the latest round of nuclear talks in Vienna. He said only “minor issues” need to be worked out in the fifth round of negotiations which will begin next week.
“The talks in Vienna are about minor issues. They have accepted to lift sanctions on Iran’s oil and shipping sectors as well as sanctions on the central bank and others,” Rouhani said during a televised cabinet meeting.
Rouhani’s comments offered the most optimistic assessment of the Vienna talks to come out of Iran. But also on Thursday, an unnamed Iranian official told Iran’s PressTV that the US has not agreed to lift all major sanctions but instead said it would temporarily suspend them. “Washington intends to temporarily suspend some of the sanctions over a long period of time and in various steps,” the official said.
It’s possible that the US agreed to lift major sanctions in a long-drawn-out process that is not acceptable for more hardline elements in Iran, which would explain the comments from the anonymous official. Rouhani’s government has previously raised issues with PressTV’s sources for the Vienna talks, who generally portray the negotiations in a negative light.
Up until this point, the Biden administration has been refusing to lift all non-nuclear-related sanctions, dragging out the Vienna talks as the two sides negotiate what sanctions the US will lift and what will be acceptable relief for Iran.
The Trump administration imposed an enormous number of sanctions on Iran. Some were implemented over Tehran’s nuclear program, while others were put in place over claims of terrorism and alleged human rights abuses. The sanctions on Iran’s central bank and state shipping company, which Rouhani mentioned, are considered “terror” sanctions.
The fact that Iran is negotiating at all is a concession in itself since the US is the party that violated the JCPOA. Iran’s presidential elections are upcoming in June, and Rouhani is expected to be replaced with a more hardline candidate who might not be patient and willing to negotiate with the US.
So will Iran then do the same with its nuclear enrichment?
Really? Their enrichment was in line until the reapplying of the sanctions! It was your inane and corrupt government who is in the wrong here! Betcha the Iranians did not give an inch! Nor should they!
Of course not. That’s not how we “negotiate”. We get everything up front.
Vladimir Putin–‘”The United States is not “agreement capable.”’ Oh, no! I just quoted Putin! But hey, tell me if he was lying? Does that automatically make me a Russian bot or troll? If so, where is the farm?
I don’t think “nukes” was ever the issue. It was just the old WMD scam to cover the Neocon bloody business of shuffling the mid-east deck.
The Iranian leaders are surely familiar with the old Charlie Brown/Lucy comic strip in which she holds the football awaiting his toe kick.
I believe it when I see it: IBIWISI!
“But also on Thursday, an unnamed Iranian official told Iran’s PressTV that the US has not agreed to lift all major sanctions but instead said it would temporarily suspend them.”
Even if the US said they agreed to lift the sanctions, in reality temporarily suspending them is what Iran will actually get. Whether it be reshuffling sanctions from one category to another or whether the Republicans win back the white house, the “lifting” of those sanctions will NEVER be permanent. Continuous capitulation to our every demand is the only way to have continuous relief. “Continuous” being the operative word.
Maybe Iran should temporarily suspend working on that viable counter to Israel’s nukes, in a quid pro quo
Is the lifting of “terror” sanctions in return for Iran ending support for Houthis, Bashir Assad, Hezbollah, Muqtada al-Sadr, IRG, …joining Abraham Accords?
The devil is in the details. If that’s the case, the Iranians would be cutting their own throat.
Yes, but history is replete with this kind of betrayal, …variously termed “statecraft”, “realism”, “national self-interest”, “the short game”…. Otherwise it would signal a major blow to the Anglo/Zionist Neocon ascendancy.
“Terrorism is not an enemy. It cannot be defeated. It’s a tactic. It’s about as sensible to say we declare war on night attacks and expect we’re going to win that war.”
—William Odom
U.S. Army General (ret.)
*but it is a useful term for the forever wars fueling the complex that the Deep State craves.
That is if you believe the lies. The ussa are the terrorist and the other countries are defending their selves! It would dnot benefit the world if the ussa corporations gaining control of the whole wolrd ever read Huxley or Orwell! I suggest you get your sources from anything but the Lying ussa media! Oh and who were the ussa and its vassals funding? Charity groups like isis? Go back to school!