Iran’s leader insists sanctions should be lifted when deal starts

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Thursday that international sanctions against his country should be lifted the day the nuclear deal is implemented.

Western governments have said the sanctions should be rolled back gradually after Iran takes steps to rein in its nuclear program, which it says is for civilian purposes and not for making a bomb.

“We will not sign any agreements unless on the first day of the implementation of the deal all economic sanctions are totally lifted on the same day,” Rouhani said, according to the AFP.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, said in a statement on his official website that he “is neither for nor against” the deal, reported the Associated Press.

Last week, six world powers and Iran agreed to a framework on limiting its nuclear production. The next deadline for a more specific deal is June 30.

Khamenei and Rouhani also criticized Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthi rebel fighters, who have been fighting the government in Yemen. “This is a crime, genocide and legally pursuable,” Khamenei said on his website.

Rouhani urged neighboring countries to “adopt the spirit of brotherhood” and end the bombing. “Do not kill innocent children. Let’s think about an end to the war, about ceasefire and humanitarian assistance to the suffering people of Yemen,” he said.

In an interview on Wednesday’s PBS NewsHour, Secretary of State John Kerry warned Iran not to get further involved with the Yemen conflict. “Iran needs to recognize that the United States is not going to stand by while the region is destabilized or while people engage in overt warfare across lines — international boundaries — in other countries,” he said.

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