West Must Put Sanctions Aside

Reports indicate that the sanctions and research and development activities are the most important issues which are being discussed in the nuclear negotiations. If the sanctions are lifted as rapidly as Iran wants, perhaps other issues would be resolved more easily. Do you think that Iran will compromise on this issue at this juncture?

Sanctions are and will be Iran’s red line. Iran’s negotiating team has already shown numerous flexibilities while it has defended the absolute rights of the Iranian people. But the issue of oppressive sanctions against Iran which have been imposed since many years ago is not an issue which can be ignored or be continued through this illegal method. Iran’s negotiating team has shown its firm stance in this regard and it is hoped that their resistance will encourage the western party to leave its past approach and lift all sanctions.

Do you believe that the ball is now in the P5+1’s court?

Yes. Iran’s demands and objectives are very clear. It is now the turn of the US and the other countries of the P5+1 to act wisely and leave behind this illegal method and pave the way for a nuclear agreement with diplomatic logic instead of insisting on continuing the sanctions. The West has entangled itself in the webs of the sanctions which it has imposed against Iran. They had claimed that sanctions are used to facilitate the trend of negotiations with Iran, but now that the negotiations are in their final stages, the same sanctions are preventing a comprehensive agreement.

You have been quoted before as saying that, “If sanctions are not lifted through these negotiations, then it would be better to have no negotiations.” Do you believe that the lifting of sanctions will be the final result of these negotiations and the ultimate accomplishment?

The Supreme Leader has stated recently that “the lifting of sanctions is one of the issues of negotiations and not its result.” This intelligent point is the key issue of the nuclear negotiations. The lifting of sanctions imposed against Iran should not be considered as a concession given by the P5+1 countries to Iran. It will be a sign of good will if they, first, distance themselves from the sanctions and then distance Iran from them. I am hopeful that this objective will be achieved due to the prudence and wisdom of Iran’s negotiating team and Iran will be victorious in this historical dispute.