WASHINGTON (The National)— U.S. Secretary of state Antony Blinken said that hundreds of US sanctions will remain on Iran even if the United States rejoins the 2015 nuclear accord. Blinken told that sanctions will remain in place until Iran’s behaviour changes.

Blinken said Iran’s “malign actions” will still need to be countered even if Tehran falls back into compliance with the JCPOA.

The negotiations in Vienna, without the presence of the U.S., aim to determine which sanctions the Americans must lift, as well as a timetable for Iran to return to compliance with its commitments. The challenge comes from the fact that the Trump administration has built a web of sanctions that is not easily unravelled because certain Iranian individuals and entities are targeted on multiple counts (nuclear program, terrorism financing, human rights violations…). In other words, lifting only the nuclear sanctions might not provide the Iranian economy with the boost it is hoping for.