 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 By Francesco FONTEMAGGI Washington (AFP) Feb 5, 2022
The US State Department is waiving sanctions on Iran's civilian nuclear program in a technical step necessary to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, a senior official said Friday. The resumption of the waiver, ended by the Donald Trump administration in 2020, "would be essential to ensuring Iran's swift compliance" if a new deal on controlling Tehran's nuclear program can be reached in talks in Vienna, the State Department official said. The waiver allows other countries and companies to participate in Iran's civilian nuclear program without triggering US sanctions on them, in the name of promoting safety and non-proliferation. The civilian program includes Iran's increasing stockpiles of enriched uranium. "Absent this sanctions waiver, detailed technical discussions with third parties regarding disposition of stockpiles and other activities of nonproliferation value cannot take place," the official said, insisting on anonymity. The step came as talks to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which then president Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, were at an advanced stage. Joe Biden moved quickly to return to the agreement after he became president a year ago, but Iran in the meantime has moved increasingly closer to producing enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon. The Vienna talks, which include Iran, the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, are at a key stage where the parties have to make "critical political decisions," a senior US official said last week. "The technical discussions facilitated by the waiver are necessary in the final weeks of JCPOA talks," the State Department official said Friday. - No 'quid pro quo' - The US official insisted that the move was not "part of a quid pro quo," as the partners in the JCPOA talks await Iran's response on key issues. State Department spokesman Ned Price insisted this US step is a sanctions waiver for the civilian nuclear program and not broader sanctions relief. Price wrote on Twitter: "We did NOT provide sanctions relief for Iran and WILL NOT until/unless Tehran returns to its commitments under the JCPOA. We did precisely what the last Administration did: permit our international partners to address growing nuclear nonproliferation and safety risks in Iran." But even if a final deal is not reached, the department official said, the waiver is important to holding discussions on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, of interest to the entire world. But the senior administration official who briefed reporters on the talks last week said that time was running out, and urged Tehran to make important decisions. "I think we're at the point where some of the most critical political decisions have to be made by all sides," the official said. The official proposed direct talks between Washington and Tehran to focus on the most difficult issues separating the sides. "If our goal is to reach an understanding quickly... the optimal way to do that, in any negotiation, is for the parties that have the most at stake to meet directly," the official said. In late January, Iran said for the first time it was open to the idea of direct negotiations with the United States, but since then has not said where it stands. Experts say the JCPOA talks could resume next week, after halting a week ago. Barbara Slavin, an Iran expert at the Atlantic Council, said the resumption of the waiver was a positive step. "It's a necessary prerequisite to restoring the JCPOA and thus a good sign that this can be accomplished," she told AFP. "These sanctions were among the dumbest and most counterproductive imposed by the former administration," she added.
Iran says differences persist on key issues at nuclear talks Tehran (AFP) Jan 31, 2022 Iran said Monday that differences with the United States remain over the issues of lifting sanctions and obtaining guarantees in Vienna talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. "Important and significant issues remain regarding the removal of sanctions that have not made an agreement possible so far," foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a news conference. He reiterated calls for guarantees that the US will not withdraw from the 2015 deal, which was derailed in 2018 when th ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
