BICOM

United States officials yesterday clarified that sanctions on Iran would not be lifted immediately if a comprehensive nuclear deal is agreed, but that relief would instead be linked directly to compliance with an agreement.

Iran and the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) agreed a framework to a comprehensive deal over Tehran’s nuclear development earlier this month, paving the way for negotiations to begin towards a long-term accord, which must be agreed by June. However, both sides have since indicated differing understandings of the nascent deal, including fundamental issues such as Iran’s use of advanced centrifuges and the pace of sanctions relief.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has said that there will be no deal unless sanctions are immediately removed in their entirety. However, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf yesterday clarified Washington’s stance, saying, “There is no change in our position … regarding phased sanctions relief as part of a comprehensive deal … They will only receive sanctions relief after [Iran] completes all of its nuclear related steps.”

US Vice President Joe Biden also commented over the weekend, saying, “If at the front end they [Iran] expect there to be total sanction relief or significant sanction relief, there will be no deal.”

Meanwhile, negotiators from the P5+1 and Iran are set to resume talks this week in Vienna, in order to begin work towards a long-term accord. Technical experts from both sides are set to meet for two days beginning tomorrow, which will be followed by a meeting of political directors.

At the same time, the United States and Iran appear to be in a public stand-off over Tehran’s intervention in Yemen, where it has been supplying arms to Houthi rebels looking to unseat the government. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest yesterday called Iran’s actions “destabilizing” and it was announced that the USS Theodore Roosevelt would be stationed off the Yemen coast to “send a message” to Iran, according to an American official in the New York Times.