​Iran: Sanctions must be dropped for nuclear deal

“We insist that the lifting of financial, bank and oil industry sanctions was the first step and on a clear roadmap for lifting the rest of the sanction,” Abbas Araqchi, Iranian deputy FM told the media.

READ MORE: Nuclear deal with Iran ‘reached on all key aspects’ – Lavrov

The statement comes as hard negotiations on the Iranian nuclear controversy in Lausanne passed the Tuesday midnight deadline and continued. The foreign ministers of China, Russia and France left the country saying they would return if necessary. French FM Laurent Fabius remarked that while the talks produced progress, it was not enough to reach a deal.

Iran and six world powers are negotiating a framework deal, which will hopefully lead to a final agreement by June. It would insure that Iran would not try to produce a nuclear weapon in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Tehran insists that it’s not pursuing a nuclear capability, but some nations have accused it of having a clandestine military nuclear program.

As the talks passed the deadline on Tuesday, China warned that the parties must be willing to compromise to reach an agreement.

No wonder he left early. RT @bbclysedoucet: #China FM's "Four Point Proposal about Follow-on Negotiations" #Irantalkshttp://ift.tt/1OYvD6G

— Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) April 1, 2015

“In this final phase all parties must be prepared to meet each other halfway in order to reach an agreement. If the negotiations are stuck, all previous efforts will be wasted,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement after leaving Lausanne.

The most vocal opponent of the negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said it was time for the international community to stand its ground and insist on a better deal.

Statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Lausanne Talks. https://t.co/mVpdpLtQvR #IranTalksLausannehttp://ift.tt/19ITlTx

— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 1, 2015

“A better deal would significantly roll back Iran's nuclear infrastructure. A better deal would link the eventual lifting of the restrictions on Iran's nuclear program to a change in Iran's behavior,” he said.

The Israeli government insists the lifting of sanctions would pave the way for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and warned that it would not be bound by the deal, if it is reached in Switzerland.