Prior to meeting with E3 representatives in Paris, the U.S. special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, stated that “we are dedicated to this policy of maximum economic pressure because it is working, it is denying the regime historic levels of revenue”. He added that “our sanctions do not give Iran the right to accelerate its nuclear program. It can never get near a nuclear bomb. We are looking very closely at that so it doesn’t get below the one-year nuclear break-out time". Hook went on to contend that “we’ve offered many carrots and a year ago we made clear that if Iran behaves like a normal nation and not a revolutionary cause then we will lift all our sanctions.”