Senior Russian Official: ‘We Expect All Sanctions on Iran to be Lifted’

March 3, 2014 

Author:

Gidon Ben-zvi

Tags:

Ali Khamenei Iranian nuclear program Benjamin Netanyahu Iran nuclear program Hassan Rouhani nuclear program iran israel sanctions Iran Nuclear Program Mikhail Margelov iran sanctions Mikhail Margelov russian Mikhail Marglov Russian parliament Iran P5+1 Iran Geneva deal russia iran sanctions

Iraian President Rouhani at a rally celebrating the 1979 Islamist revolution. Photo: Screenshot. 

The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Russia’s parliament, Mikhail Margelov, said on Monday that his country expects all economic sanctions against Iran to be removed immediately, Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported.

“There have been important developments. President Hassan Rouhani has openly declared that Iran has no intention to develop an atomic bomb,” Margelov said. ”Furthermore, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has issued a decree that prohibits the building of a bomb, calling it ‘a sin.’ ”

As a result of these public statements, Marglov concluded, “The conditions have now been met to justify the full lifting of sanctions on Iran.”

According to the senior Russian official, the sanctions  issue will be brought up during the next round of talks between the Islamic Republic and world powers, scheduled for March 17.

Iran and the P5+1 countries agreed to a landmark nuclear deal in November 2013 allowing Tehran access to frozen assets in exchange for limitations on the country’s nuclear program. As part of the agreement, the international community effectively accepted peaceful nuclear activity on the part of Tehran.

At the time of the agreement’s signing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu said it was a ”historic mistake” and that the world had become a more dangerous place as a result.