US Treasury nominee: Iran sanctions will only be lifted through a return to 2015 nuclear deal

US President Joe Biden's pick for deputy treasury secretary says sanctions will be strictly enforced against Russian entities

Adewale Adeyemo is US President Joe Biden's pick to become deputy treasury secretary. Bloomberg

Wally Adeyemo, US President Joe Biden's nominee as deputy treasury secretary, highlighted his commitment to the rigorous enforcement of US sanctions against countries such as Iran and Russia.

In written responses to queries from members of the Senate Finance Committee, Mr Adeyemo said Iran should only receive sanctions relief if it resumed compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord.

He said the Treasury Department would look carefully at "any Iranian efforts to evade sanctions and abuse the international banking system" to fund terrorist activities.

"Iran’s support for terrorism is a very serious concern and, if confirmed, I will work with colleagues at the treasury to closely monitor and seek to disrupt that support with all available tools," Mr Adeyemo said.

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on Mr Adeyemo's nomination on Wednesday, paving the way for a floor vote by the full Senate in the coming weeks.

On Sunday, Iran ruled out holding an informal meeting with the US and other major powers to discuss ways to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal.

Tehran said Washington must first lift all unilateral sanctions.

The US said it was disappointed but remained ready to "re-engage in meaningful diplomacy" and would consult with the other major powers to seek a way forward.

The Biden administration said it was ready to talk to Iran about both nations resuming compliance with the accord, which scrapped broad economic sanctions against Iran in return for curbs intended to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Mr Adeyemo also highlighted his commitment to enforcing sanctions against Russian targets and said he would work closely with other US officials to introduce laws that mandate sanctions on companies and people involved with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built from Russia to Germany.