US will not lift sanctions to get Iran to negotiating table, says Biden

US President Joe Biden said the United States will not lift its economic sanctions on Iran in order to get Tehran back to the negotiating table to discuss how to revive the Iran nuclear deal, according to a video released by CBS News on Sunday. Asked if Iran had to stop enriching uranium first, Biden nodded. It was not clear exactly what he meant, as Iran is permitted to enrich uranium under the 2015 nuclear deal within certain limits. Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader had said the US must effectively remove all sanctions on his country’s economy before it will agree to scale back its atomic work.

Biden said there was no particular reason why he hadn’t yet spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and promised a different kind of relationship with Beijing from his predecessor.“Well, we haven’t had occasion to talk to one another yet,” Biden said and added that  “There’s no reason not to call him.” Biden said his approach to China will be different from that of former President Donald Trump and that Xi knows that because he’s been “sending signals as well.”“We need not have a conflict, but there’s going to be extreme competition,” Biden said on “Face the Nation.” More of the interview will run during the CBS Super Bowl pre-game show around 4 pm Eastern time.