BRUSSELS – The US will lift sanctions against Iran if a truly comprehensive deal covering nuclear and missile issues, as well as human rights, is concluded. This was stated on Monday at a telephone briefing in Brussels, US special representative for Iran Brian Hook.
“The new deal – it should be really comprehensive, it should remove the whole range of challenges to peace and security, which is Iran. It should include solutions to the nuclear issue, ballistic missile problems, human rights and Tehran’s activities in the region. We want to make this deal. Only after the conclusion of such a deal, the US will completely lift sanctions and restore diplomatic relations that were broken 40 years ago,” he said.
Hook also noted that the fact of allowing Tehran to enrich independently uranium is unacceptable for the United States. “This fact alone is very dangerous for the non-proliferation regime in the region,” he said. Hook also attacked Iran with accusations of supporting various paramilitary organizations in the region, in particular, the Lebanese Hezbollah or Palestinian Hamas, which Washington considers terrorist.
In addition, according to Hook, the US will call on Monday the UN Security Council to achieve from Iran to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, starting a campaign for maximum diplomatic pressure on Iran.
“We will inform the UN Security Council about our conclusions later today. We will call on the UN Security Council to ensure Iran’s freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, starting a campaign for maximum diplomatic pressure on Iran, sanctions [against Iran] will also be announced today,” he said.
“Iran has so far remained deaf to diplomacy, so we will apply all available measures in our Arsenal,” he said. Answering the question about possible new attempts of us military operations against Iran, he stressed that “they will require a decision of the President.” Hook also refused to reveal any details of the new us sanctions against Iran. He also stressed that the US “remains in close contact on the issue of sanctions with the “European Troika” [UN mediators on Iran], “accusing Iran of “nuclear blackmail of the remaining members of the Joint comprehensive action plan.”
The United States will propose at the G20 summit in Osaka to discuss an international operation to ensure the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Hook announced.
“There is a possibility of joining forces of a number of allied nations to carry out an operation to strengthen Maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, where there are already forces of about 30 states. The G20 summit will be a good platform for discussing this initiative,” he said.
