A former U.S. official and two informed sources revealed on Saturday that President Joe Biden's administration is considering lifting sanctions on Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as part of the Vienna negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement, according to NBC News. The network reported that lifting sanctions on the Iranian leader has been a demand from Iran in the Vienna talks.
Sources from the network indicated that U.S. and Iranian negotiators discussed this potential step during indirect talks in Vienna as part of a broader set of concessions that would lead to Washington's return to the agreement and Iran's renewed commitment to the restrictions on its nuclear program.
No Agreement on Any Issues
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told NBC News that "the precise nature of the steps regarding sanctions and their sequencing that the U.S. needs to take to achieve a mutual return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the subject of discussions between Washington and Tehran," adding, "There is no agreement on anything until there is agreement on everything."
Previously, some participants in the nuclear discussions indicated that an agreement could be reached upon resuming talks if Tehran offered concessions. They clarified that accepting the continuation of hundreds of U.S. sanctions imposed by the previous administration, including those related to human rights, affecting both Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi, is part of those concessions, according to a Wall Street Journal report last Monday.
Removing Raisi from the Sanctions List
Iran has already strongly pressured for Raisi to be removed from the sanctions list during the talks, but U.S. officials have stated that this issue is still under discussion. It is noteworthy that if the sanctions remain in effect, Raisi would be the first Iranian president to face U.S. sanctions while in office.
The talks, which began in April in Vienna to revive the nuclear agreement from which the U.S. withdrew in 2018, have not resulted in a complete or formally announced consensus over six rounds. Despite several positive European statements regarding this matter, various U.S. and Iranian officials clarified in recent days that several important issues remain unresolved.
