Iran Demands U.S. Guarantee to Lift Sanctions as Condition for Nuclear Deal

Iran Demands Lifting of Sanctions and Guarantees from the United States
No Agreement Reached After Five Rounds of Indirect Talks
White House Temporarily Suspends New Sanctions Against Iran

On June 2 (local time), the Iranian government demanded that the United States lift sanctions against Iran and provide guarantees as a condition for reaching a nuclear agreement.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "We want the United States to guarantee that it will effectively lift sanctions against the Iranian people," adding, "However, the U.S. side still does not want to clarify this issue."

Since the United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement (JCPOA, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) in 2018 and reinstated sanctions against Iran, Iran is now demanding a provision in the new nuclear negotiations that would explicitly restrict the restoration of sanctions. The Trump administration, since its second term began in January, has pursued a 'maximum pressure' policy toward Iran.

Since April, the United States has been holding high-level nuclear talks with Iran under the mediation of Oman. In the five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran held from April to May, the two sides failed to reach significant results due to disagreements on three main issues: Iran's uranium enrichment activities, the scope and extent of nuclear inspections, and the lifting of sanctions against Iran. Currently, discussions are underway regarding the schedule and location for the sixth round of talks.

Regarding uranium enrichment, the United States is demanding a complete halt, but Iran is refusing, making it difficult for the two sides to find common ground.

Regarding the Iran nuclear negotiations, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre stated in a press release on May 31, "Steve Whitcomb, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, has delivered a proposal to Iran that is acceptable," adding, "It would be in Iran's best interest to accept this proposal." The New York Times reported that the United States has demanded a complete halt to all uranium enrichment by Iran and has proposed forming a nuclear development consortium involving the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and others.

Meanwhile, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the White House instructed relevant agencies last week to suspend all new sanction activities against Iran. According to the WSJ, this directive was delivered to senior officials at the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Treasury Department, and was also shared with officials working in the Middle East. This measure was issued immediately after the Treasury Department's routine sanctions against Iran were blocked, and no end date for the suspension has been specified.