Iran will sign nuclear deal only if all sanctions lifted, Rouhani says

Earlier this week US said it would accept sanctions being “phased out” and it would not budge from its position.

By REUTERS, MICHAEL WILNER
Hassan Rouhani (photo credit: REUTERS)
Hassan Rouhani
(photo credit: REUTERS)
ANKARA, April 9 (Reuters) - Iran will only agree to a final nuclear accord with six major powers if all sanctions imposed on the country over its disputed nuclear work are lifted, President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech on Thursday.
"We will not sign any deal unless all sanctions are lifted on the same day ... We want a win-win deal for all parties involved in the nuclear talks," Rouhani said.
The world powers and Iran have not yet agreed on the pace of sanctions relief, a fundamental component of the structure of a nuclear deal. Earlier this week, the White House said that international sanctions would be lifted only gradually.
The disagreement between the parties is over how to pair international sanctions relief for Iran with its demonstrated compliance with an accord.
Washington stipulated that it would accept sanctions being “phased out” only as Tehran complies with a final agreement to halt its nuclear program. 
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday that the US would not budge from its position. A phased approach is the only way to incentivize Iran to comply over the life of the deal, he said, which includes provisions lasting between 10 and 25 years.
“You can’t start talking about relieving sanctions until we’ve reached agreements about how we’re going to shut down every pathway they have to a nuclear weapon,” Earnest told reporters.
Under the framework deal with Iran reached earlier this month, framing the parameters of a larger, more technical agreement due by June 30, Iran will be allowed to continue the enrichment of uranium and will close no facilities.