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Iranian president says nuclear deal possible if all sanctions are lifted

According to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, Tehran wants all sanctions, including UN Security Council resolutions and US and EU unilateral restrictions, to be lifted at once
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani EPA/JUSTIN LANE
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani
© EPA/JUSTIN LANE

TEHRAN, April 15. /TASS/. Iran will not sign a comprehensive agreement on its nuclear program with the Sextet of international mediators if all sanctions are not immediately lifted from Tehran, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

"If there is no end to sanctions, there will not be an agreements," Rouhani said. "The end of these negotiations and a signed deal must include a declaration of cancelling the oppressive sanctions on the great nation of Iran," he added.

Iran wants all sanctions, including UN Security Council resolutions and US and EU unilateral restrictions, to be lifted at once, Rouhani said. The US says sanctions should be removed gradually from Tehran.

Commenting on disagreements emerging between US President Barack Obama and US Congress on Iran’s nuclear deal, Rouhani said it was "an internal issue for Washington." "We are in talks with the major powers and not with the Congress," he added.

Iran seeks "constructive interaction with the world and not confrontation," the president said.

Agreement on Iran’s nuclear program

On April 2, Iran and P5+1 group (Russia, US, UK, China, France and Germany) reached a breakthrough agreement in Switzerland’s Lausanne on restricting Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for gradual lifting of sanctions. The deadline for coordinating the final agreement is June 30.

According to the deal, Iran will not enrich uranium no higher than to 3.67% for the next 15 years. Tehran will also cut its stockpile of low-enriched uranium from around 10 tons to 300 kilograms. Iran agreed not to set up new facilities for uranium enrichment in the next 15 years, and vowed not to reprocess spent nuclear fuel and conduct research in this sphere.