WASHINGTON, 22 April 2022, (TON): The United States said “if Iran wanted sanctions relief beyond that of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, an apparent reference to removing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards from a US terrorism list, it must address US concerns beyond the pact.

A State Department spokesperson said “we are not negotiating in public, but if Iran wants sanctions lifting that goes beyond the JCPOA, they will need to address concerns of ours beyond the JCPOA.”

The spokesperson added “conversely, if they do not want to use these talks to resolve other bilateral issues beyond the JCPOA, then we are confident that we can very quickly reach an understanding on the JCPOA and begin reimplementing the deal.”

“Iran needs to make a decision.”

The US spokesperson was responding to a top Iranian official who earlier said Iran will not give up on its plans to avenge the 2020 US assassination of Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, despite regular offers from Washington to lift sanctions and provide other concessions in return.

Iran has been engaged for a year in negotiations with France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China directly, and the United States indirectly, to revive the 2015 deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.