Pompeo informs US to withdraw snapback sanctions on Iran if deal reached within 31 days

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday, August 20 said Washington would consider lifting 'snapback' sanctions on Tehran only if an agreement is reached.

Adding that the possibility of rounding-up a deal with Iran within 31 days is highly unlikely, Pompeo noted that as a diplomat he ‘always lives in hope’. He said that 'for a long time' the United States has been prepared to hold a dialogue with Iran to discuss the latter's commitments to the accord. 

"As for the things that would cause us to change our mind, if we could get to a place where we got a full-on agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal nation and live up to the commitments we've asked for - we have been prepared to have that conversation for a long time - were we able to achieve that, we would consider withdrawing this," Pompeo was quoted by ANI. He added, "I think it's unlikely within the 31 days between here and there but as a diplomat, I always live in hope."

Read - US Notifies UN Of Decision To Trigger 'snapback' Sanctions On Iran

Before Pompeo put forth the condition that would make the US lift the sanctions that have crippled the economy of the Islamic Republic, he had sent a letter to the UN Security Council informing about invoking of the 2015 nuclear agreement snapback mechanism under Resolution 2231.

The United States had cited Iran’s non-compliance with the agreement. Meanwhile, France, Germany, and the UK issued a joint statement on the same day rejecting their support to US initiative of restraining sanctions against Iran. 

Read - Iran Rejects US Demand For UN To Restore Sanctions

US says its message is 'clear'

While notifying UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the snapback mechanism under Resolution 2231 that would initiate the restoration of all UN sanctions on Iran, US said that its message is ‘clear’ of prohibiting “world's largest state sponsor of terrorism” to freely conduct the transaction of conventional weapons.

Pompeo has now clarified that it would think about the lifting of these sanctions on reaching an agreement within 31 days. Meanwhile, Iran has rejected the restoration of sanctions and called it the US' 'outlaw behaviour' and called for the international community to resist the move.

Read - Netanyahu Welcomes US 'snapback' Of Iran Sanctions

Read - US Demands Restoration Of UN Sanctions Against Iran