Sanctions stall resumption of negotiations between Washington, Tehran Members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps test ballistic missiles during a military drill in Iran on 16 January 2021 [Sepahnews/Anadolu Agency] February 13, 2021 at 1:02 pm Iranian MPs have overtly refused to make any concessions to the US for the resumption of negotiations on the missile programme and the nuclear agreement. The conservative wing in parliament, which has an overwhelming majority in the Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly, believes that there is no point in returning to negotiations between Tehran and Washington on contentious issues. While US President Joe Biden announced that Washington would not lift sanctions imposed until Tehran stops enriching uranium, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei insisted on the need to lift the sanctions first, in order for his country to fulfil its nuclear deal obligations.