--- description: The U.S. began preparations to suspend nuclear-related sanctions on Iran on Sunday, as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. title: U.S. Prepares Iranian Sanctions Relief After Nuclear Deal image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltecd953c71b63cad1/698868d0bc6cfc26423d9f77/gettyimages-487572778.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Foreign Policy](/tag/foreign-policy/) ## Foreign Policy Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The U.S. Prepares Iranian Sanctions Relief After Landmark Nuclear Deal ## Video: Know Right Now: Democrats Secure 41 Votes for Iran Deal [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Democrats Secure 41 Votes for Iran Deal](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3wTnEJ5S.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2015-09-02. Senate Democrats rallied 41 votes in support of the Iran Nuclear Deal_ by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2015 8:03 AM CUT  US President Barack Obama meets with veterans and Gold Star Mothers to discuss the Iran nuclear deal on Sept. 10, 2015 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC US President Barack Obama meets with veterans and Gold Star Mothers to discuss the Iran nuclear deal on Sept. 10, 2015 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DCMANDEL NGAN—AFP/Getty Images by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2015 8:03 AM CUT The U.S. has begun preparations to suspend nuclear-related sanctions on Iran as part of Washington’s commitments to the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action](http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc11974.doc.htm "undefined") that was officially adopted on Sunday. However, punitive economic measures will not be lifted until Tehran complies with every agreed measure to limit its nuclear program, according to the White House. The announcement marked “adoption day” of the agreement that was signed in Vienna on July 14 by Iran, the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the E.U., and endorsed 90 days ago by the U.N. Security Council. It is an “important milestone toward preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensuring its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful going forward,” U.S. President Barack Obama said in a White House [statement](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/10/18/statement-president-adoption-joint-comprehensive-plan-action "undefined") on Sunday. “I have directed that the heads of all relevant executive departments and agencies of the United States begin preparations to implement the U.S. commitments,” Obama said, “including providing relief from nuclear-related sanctions.” European nations followed suit and “adopted the legislative framework for lifting all of its nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions,” E.U. High Representative Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in a joint [statement](http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/151018%5F01%5Fen.htm "undefined") on Sunday. Sanctions will not be officially lifted until the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies that Iran has complied with every measure in the agreement. These include removing centrifuges, cutting its enriched uranium stockpile by more than 90% and restructuring the Arak heavy-water reactor for peaceful and research purposes. Meeting every requirement in the deal could take months, senior U.S. officials told a [press briefing](http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/10/248310.htm "undefined") on Saturday. But if fully implemented, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry [said](http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2015/10/248311.htm "undefined") on Sunday that the deal “will bring unprecedented insight and accountability to Iran’s nuclear program forever.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4077812/iran-us-nuclear-sanctions-deal/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4077812/iran-us-nuclear-sanctions-deal/"},"headline":"The U.S. Prepares Iranian Sanctions Relief After Landmark Nuclear Deal","datePublished":"2015-10-19T08:03:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T11:53:27.110Z","description":"But Tehran must take care of its side of the bargain first","url":"https://time.com/4077812/iran-us-nuclear-sanctions-deal/","keywords":["Foreign Policy","Iran","Nuclear","Sanctions","us","deal"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltecd953c71b63cad1/698868d0bc6cfc26423d9f77/gettyimages-487572778.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Rivett-Carnac","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/mark-rivett-carnac/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltecd953c71b63cad1/698868d0bc6cfc26423d9f77/gettyimages-487572778.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-IRAN-NUCLEAR-OBAMA","caption":"US-IRAN-NUCLEAR-OBAMA","creditText":"MANDEL NGAN—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/foreign-policy/","name":"Foreign Policy"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4077812/iran-us-nuclear-sanctions-deal/","name":"The U.S. Prepares Iranian Sanctions Relief After Landmark Nuclear Deal"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: Democrats Secure 41 Votes for Iran Deal","description":"Senate Democrats rallied 41 votes in support of the Iran Nuclear Deal","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/3wTnEJ5S/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-09-02T16:28:08.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/3wTnEJ5S.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4077812/iran-us-nuclear-sanctions-deal/","duration":"PT1M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4077812/iran-us-nuclear-sanctions-deal/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```