Joe Biden said the US would only lift sanctions on Iran if it stops enriching uranium, and would not remove them simply to attract Tehran back to the negotiating table.
The US president’s comments, made in an interview with CBS News released on Sunday, came as Iran’s supreme leader reiterated Tehran would not return to full compliance with the nuclear accord it signed with world powers in 2015 until the US lifted all sanctions.
“If the US wants to go back to its commitment under JCPOA [the nuclear accord], it should lift sanctions altogether?.?.?. in practice not in words or on paper,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said at a meeting with the army’s top brass marking the 42nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution.