The sanctions can be lifted off Iran only if the country takes real steps regarding the nuclear program, head spokesman of foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Michael Mann said, RIA Novosti reported.
Mann spoke to journalists on Tuesday, and said that sanctions aim to make Iran clarify some questions about its nuclear program.
"The reason for the sanctions to be lifted can only be the real changes in the negotiating process," Mann said.
Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have started a new round of talks on Tehran's nuclear energy program in Geneva.
The negotiations are reportedly being held behind closed doors, with limited amount of people from both negotiating sides.
The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of developing a nuclear weapon - something that Iran denies. The Islamic Republic has on numerous occasions stated that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons, using nuclear energy for medical researches instead.
In 2012, representatives of P5+1 group and Iran held three rounds of talks in Istanbul (April 14), Baghdad (May 23-24) and Moscow (June18-19). None of these meetings resulted in breakthroughs on disputed nuclear issues. Previously talks between the "Six Powers" and Iran were not conducted for over a year.