Iran’s Supreme Leader Demands ‘Instant’ Suspension of All Sanctions as Part of Nuke Agreement

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday demanded that all sanctions on Iran be lifted at the same time as any final agreement with world powers on curbing Tehran's nuclear program is reached.

Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's most powerful figure and who has the last say on all state matters, was making his first comments on the interim deal reached last week in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

In remarks apparently meant to keep hardline loyalists in line, he warned about 'deceptive' intentions of the United States.

Reuters reported that the crowd chanted 'Death to America!' during the speech.

'Instant annulment of all sanction is one of the demands of our officials,' Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state television,' according to translations published by Reuters and the nonprofit Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Daily Mail Online that up-front lifting of sanctions is a bad idea that might be put into practice anyway.

'A gradual lifting of sanctions in return for each step taken by Tehran is the only way to secure Tehran's cooperation in the future,' Alfoneh said.

'We are also concerned the Obama administration is so desperate for a nuclear deal, that Washington will give more concessions to Tehran,' he added.'

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