Iranian leadership describing its nuclear agreement with the six-nation group differently to its domestic audience was not surprising but what matters to the international community is what Iran does in keeping with its commitments in the deal, the White House said today.
"I would just point you to what I said before, which is that we fully expected Iranian leaders to describe the agreement in a certain way for their domestic audience. They did that in November.
"What matters to us, to the P-5 plus one, to the international community, is what Iranian leaders do, what Iran does in keeping its commitments in this agreement," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters.
Carney said the Joint Plan of Action and the implementation agreement are concrete documents that commit Iran to take specific steps in a verifiable, transparent way.
"The coinciding moderate relief comes in tranches, specifically as the adherence to its commitments that Iran's adherence to its commitments is verified along the way, over the course of the six months.
Iran in November had struck a historic deal with world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for some sanctions relief.
"The issue here is the agreements that Iran has made, the fact that it has committed itself to halting progress on this nuclear programme, rolling back key aspects of it, and engaging in further negotiations in pursuit of a comprehensive resolution to this problem," he said.
"The fact is the agreement marks the first time in a decade that Iran has agreed to specific actions that halt progress on its nuclear program and rolled back key aspects of the programme, stopping the advance of the program and introducing unprecedented transparency into Iran's nuclear activities while we negotiate a long-term comprehensive solution," he said.
Carney said the Obama Administration has worked with the Congress on the Iranian issue.
"The President shares with every member of Congress who has made this issue one of special attention and focus the same commitment to deprive Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, the same commitment to building a comprehensive and effective sanctions regime, which includes sanctions levelled by the US through legislation passed by Congress," he said.
"Our view, very strong view, is that passing new sanctions now would be counterproductive. It would actually undermine the goals that we share, potentially," he said.
