Iran is rolling back parts of its nuclear program and getting relief from sanctions in return as an interim agreement aimed at gauging Tehran's willingness to curb its nuclear ambitions appears to be working with global powers gearing up for talks on Tuesday to forge a long-term pact.
'So far everyone, both Iran and all of the rest of us who provided some very limited, targeted sanctions relief have kept their commitments,' Wendy Sherman, a senior State Department official and lead negotiator for the United States on the Iran deal, told Wolf Blitzer on Monday in an interview on CNN's 'The Situation Room.'
Sherman, the under secretary for political affairs, spoke from Vienna where talks on a comprehensive accord between Iran, the United States, Germany and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council are due to begin on Tuesday.
The six-month deal was reached in November and took effect in January.
The Vienna talks 'will build on that first step, because we don't want it to be the only step,' Sherman said.
'We go into this negotiation very clear eyed, very sober,' she said. 'It's going to be very tough.'
Her comments came as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, said his country would not 'renege' on the talks, but predicted they 'will not lead anywhere.'
'What I care about is what Iran does much more than what Ir.