Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said on Wednesday that economic sanctions were not preventing Iran�s nuclear arms research.

The Iran deal negotiator added that placing greater restrictions on Iran�s atomic energy capabilities better prevents its acquisition of nuclear weapons instead.

�First of all, we all know that sanctions were effective in bringing Iran to the table,� Moniz said on CNN�s �New Day.�
�It did not stop them from pursuing a nuclear weapons program quite aggressively,� he added.

The Obama administration announced a landmark deal on Tuesday restricting Iran�s nuclear capabilities in exchange for economic sanctions relief.

Moniz argued on Wednesday that the agreement�s details will keep Tehran in check for years to come.

�This is a long-term deal that has various phases,� he said.

�There are extremely serious constraints on what Iran can do in a nuclear capacity,� Moniz said.

�Make no mistake about it � this agreement has stronger restrictions on Iran than would be in place without it,� he added.

Moniz also rebuked criticisms that the sanctions relief Iran is receiving would help its military and terrorism sponsorship.

�It was clear from the beginning these were negotiations about the nuclear issue,� he said of international talks started 20 months ago.

�Our deal is not based on an assumption about how they will spend these funds,� Moniz said of money Iran received from the lifting of sanctions.

�Clearly, we all hope this could lead to different behavior,� he added.

Moniz additionally said that Secretary of State John Kerry had repeatedly sought the release of four Americans currently languishing in Iranian custody.

�Secretary of Kerry never failed to raise the issue of the Americans unjustly held in Iran,� he said. �These issues � a whole range of them � were there.�

By The Hill