Iran nuclear deal: US sanctions will not be lifted for talks, says Biden

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US President Joe Biden says that he will not lift sanctions against Iran until it complies with the terms agreed under a 2015 nuclear deal.

He was speaking in a CBS News interview to be aired in full later on Sunday.

The 2015 deal sought to limit Iran's nuclear programme, with sanctions eased in return.

But President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and re-imposed sanctions, leading Iran to roll back on a number of its commitments.

Iran, which says its nuclear programme is peaceful, has been increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium. Enriched uranium can be used to make reactor fuel, but also nuclear bombs.

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Under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal - an agreement reached between Iran, the US, China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK - Tehran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors to access sites and facilities.

However, President Trump withdrew the US from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018.

Sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the deal were then re-imposed, as the Trump administration sought to force Iran to negotiate a new accord.

Mr Trump wanted to place indefinite curbs on Tehran's nuclear programme and also halt its development of ballistic missiles.

Iran refused. In July 2019, it breached the 3.67% cap on uranium enrichment and in January this year announced it had resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% purity.

In a short clip of the interview, to be aired at 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT) on Sunday ahead of the Super Bowl, Mr Biden was asked if he would halt economic sanctions to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, and he replied: "No."

He also talked about the US relationship with China.

He said there was no reason for Washington to be drawn into direct conflict with Beijing, but that both sides would engage in what he called "extreme competition" on the global economic stage.

Mr Biden said he had not spoken to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, since becoming president last month, and that he had not changed his stance towards Beijing.

"He's very bright, he's very tough," Mr Biden said of Mr Xi, adding: "He doesn't have a democratic - small 'd' - bone in his body."

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February 08, 2021 at 06:45AM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55972619