US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a news conference at the end of the Iranian nuclear talks in Geneva on November 10, 2013
Washington:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that the United States continues to be skeptical of Iran's willingness to dismantle its nuclear program and will keep sanctions in place as talks continue.
"We are not blind, and I don't think we're stupid. I think we have a pretty strong sense of how to measure whether or not we are acting in the interests of our country and of the globe," Kerry said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The United States and its allies narrowed their differences with Tehran in talks over the weekend, but were not able to reach a deal as France believed the proposal did not adequately neutralize the risk of an Iranian atom bomb.
Israel has also voiced skepticism, warning that the Iran cannot be trusted until it dismantles its nuclear program.
Kerry said the United States is aiming to get Tehran to halt further nuclear development as a first step toward a complete dismantling of the program. Washington will keep sanctions in place in the meantime, he said.
"Nobody has talked about getting rid of the current architecture of sanctions. The pressure will remain," he said.
"We are not blind, and I don't think we're stupid. I think we have a pretty strong sense of how to measure whether or not we are acting in the interests of our country and of the globe," Kerry said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The United States and its allies narrowed their differences with Tehran in talks over the weekend, but were not able to reach a deal as France believed the proposal did not adequately neutralize the risk of an Iranian atom bomb.
Israel has also voiced skepticism, warning that the Iran cannot be trusted until it dismantles its nuclear program.
Kerry said the United States is aiming to get Tehran to halt further nuclear development as a first step toward a complete dismantling of the program. Washington will keep sanctions in place in the meantime, he said.
"Nobody has talked about getting rid of the current architecture of sanctions. The pressure will remain," he said.
© Thomson Reuters 2013
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