US prepared to lift sanctions imposed on Iran inconsistent with JCPOA, says Ned Price

The United States is ready to partially lift sanctions against Iran inconsistent with the nuclear deal if the Islamic republic returns to full compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) accord, the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing. Price stressed that the only healthy step forward after the “constructive” meeting of the joint commission in Vienna would be “compliance for compliance.” The US State Department spokesperson panned out ‘mutual compliance’ as Iran returning to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal that spells out parameters under which Iran would be permanently and verifiably prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “And on our side, what we might need to do to return to compliance ourselves,” Price stressed. 

Speaking to the reporters at the White House, the US State Department spokesperson said, “We are prepared to take the steps necessary to return to compliance, including lifting sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA.” Although he added, “ I am not in a position here to give you chapter and verse on what those might be.” Price said that the US has held intensive consultations with allies and partners, including Russians and the Chinese, two of the original members of the P5+1 and with members of Congress. United States wants to bring Iran back into compliance with the nuclear deal and to achieve it, former Obama aide and Biden’s Special Envoy Rob Malley has been engaged in talks to charter a roadmap of mutual compliance with negotiations. 

Lifting sanctions 'hold implications', Price says

When asked if Biden administration’s plans to unwind the Trump’s sanctions layered on terrorist designations, Ned Price said that the lifting of sanctions hold its own implications but the United States was approaching this challenge for Iran to commit to the nuclear deal. “We are approaching this challenge with a great degree of urgency,” he said, adding that the US will list steps that Iran will need to take in order to return to its compliance with the JCPOA, and on the other hand, the US will be focused on the sanctions relief steps. 

“We are calling a longer and stronger deal, using the original JCPOA as the baseline,” the US State Department spokesperson said adding that this would imply that Iran will have to halt support for terrorism; suspend ballistic missile programs; and activities of its proxies.

“What we [US] recognizes is that we will need to provide sanctions relief to Iran inconsistent with JCPOA,” Price told reporters.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had said in a state televised address that if Washington wanted Tehran to return to its commitments under a 2015 JCPOA, it must "lift all sanctions". Khamenei had vowed that the agreements of the JCPOA will "never be violated" given that the US decides to lift the trade embargo. 

(Image Credit: AP)