China calls on USA to lift all sanctions on Iran

Chinese envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna Wang Qun called on the United States to lift all US sanctions on Iran before it returns to compliance with the nuclear deal.

Negotiations between the delegations of Iran and  P4+1 group of countries, which includes France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China, began on April 2 in the presence of an American delegation without directly participating in the negotiations. The negotiations  aimed at returning Washington to the agreement and lifting its sanctions on Iran as a prelude to the latter’s return to its obligations.

After the last meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) joint committee on reviving the agreement, Xinhua Agency quoted Wang as saying that the talks have entered the 11th week and are in the final stages, but negotiations over sanction-lifting and related issues have been dragging on and yet to be resolved.

“Iran’s concerns about this issue are legitimate and reasonable,” Wang said, noting that in order to resume full compliance with the JCPOA, the United States should first lift its unilateral sanctions against Iran, including “long-arm jurisdiction” against third-party entities and individuals

The U.S. conventional arms embargo on Iran, which is inconsistent with the JCPOA and relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, should also be completely removed, said the Chinese diplomat.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed during the United Nations-sponsored World Conference on Nuclear Disarmament that the unilateral and arrogant US measures hampers the implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran, calling on Washington to change its current position on Tehran.

Inas Abdulkareem