Biden holds firm on Iranian sanctions

The US will not lift sanctions on Iran in order to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, US president Joe Biden has said.

The comments, made in an interview with US TV channel CBS, come after Biden vowed during his presidential campaign to return to the Iranian nuclear deal that was agreed in 2015 but abandoned by previous president Donald Trump. The interview was recorded on 5 February and broadcast on 7 February.

Implementing Biden's pledge to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal is a "critical early priority", White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said late last month. But Washington is not laying out a timeline for trying to re-engage with Tehran. Biden's administration has said it will hold off on lifting sanctions on Iran's oil sector unless Tehran resumes compliance with restrictions on its nuclear programme.

By Kevin Foster