The US will not lift sanctions against Iran unless the Tehran regime stops its uranium enrichment, US President Joe Biden told CBS Evening News in an interview slated to air ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Interviewer Norah O'Donnell asked Biden point-blank if the US intended to remove sanctions currently in place as a tactic to bring Iran "back to the negotiating table," and Biden responded simply, "no."
When O'Donnell asked the president if any return to negotiations would be contingent on Iran stopping its nuclear enrichment, Biden nodded "yes."
The interview highlight was made public hours after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that the US had to lift all sanctions before Iran would consider returning to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, from which former US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.
Khamenei's televised comments were his first since Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20.
"If they want Iran to return to its commitments, the US must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification and see if the sanctions were lifted correctly, then we will return to our commitments," Khamenei told state TV.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
