EU says mulling Iran response to ‘final’ nuclear text

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The European Union said Tuesday it was studying Iran’s response to a “final” draft agreement on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord with major powers it presented at talks in Vienna.

The United States had already said Monday that it was informing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of its response to the text he submitted on August 8.

The possibility of a deal which might lead to the lifting of US sanctions on Iran’s oil output of 2.5 million barrels per day has already helped trigger a fall in prices on world markets, with US oil futures dropping nearly three percent to finish below $90 a barrel.

A spokesperson for Borrell — who coordinated talks to bring Iran and the US back into the deal — said the Iranian response was received late Monday.

“We are studying it and are consulting with the other JCPOA participants and the US on the way ahead,” the spokesperson said, referring to the formal title of the nuclear pact.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported earlier Tuesday that “an agreement will be concluded if the United States reacts with realism and flexibility” to Iran’s response.

Iran’s ISNA news agency cited an “informed source” as saying that Tehran “expects to receive the response of the other side in the next two days”.

IRNA had said Friday that Iran might accept the “final” text drawn up by the European Union to save the deal, which aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

The deal has been moribund since the 2018 withdrawal of the United States under then president Donald Trump whose administration reimposed crippling sanctions.

An unidentified Iranian diplomat said, according to IRNA, that “the European Union’s proposals are acceptable provided that they provide assurances to Iran on various points, related to sanctions and safeguards” as well as pending issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

– Three issues –

IRNA said that the remaining differences centred on three issues.

“The United States has expressed flexibility on two of them verbally but that needs to be incorporated into the text,” the news agency said without elaborating.

“The third issue has to do with a guarantee that the deal will be lasting, and that depends on realism from the United States to reassure Iran.”

None of the parties have spelt out in details the points of contention that are still blocking a deal.

Iran’s demand for an end to US blacklisting of its ideological army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as a “terrorist organisation” has been dropped from the discussions and will instead be handled after the deal, a senior EU official said earlier this month.

The official said progress had also been made on Tehran’s call for guarantees that there will be no repeat of Washington reneging on the deal as it did under Trump in 2018.

Tehran and Washington still have to agree on “issues related to sanctions lifting and a couple of nuclear questions that did not exist in March as the Iranians advanced their programme”, the EU official said.

Iran also wants the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, to end its long-running investigation into traces of enriched uranium found at sites not declared as having hosted nuclear activities.

Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia, as well as the United States indirectly, resumed talks on the nuclear accord earlier in August after a months-long hiatus.

The EU-coordinated negotiations to revive the JCPOA began in April 2021 before coming to a standstill in March.

The EU said last Tuesday it expected Tehran and Washington to “very quickly” respond to the “final” text aimed at salvaging the deal.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that, after the lengthy negotiations, “what counts for us is verification” that sanctions are lifted in practice.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said it was up to Iran to make a final deal, rejecting reported demands that are outside the scope of the negotiations.

“We do believe that what could be negotiated has been negotiated, and we’re prepared to affect a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA,” said Price.

Iran’s nuclear saga: from 2015 deal to ‘final’ draft text
Paris (AFP) Aug 16, 2022 –
The main developments in talks on Iran’s nuclear programme since 2015 after Tehran gives its response to a “final” draft agreement aimed at restoring a landmark deal with world powers.

– Historic accord –

In 2013, newly elected Iranian president Hassan Rouhani says he is ready for “serious” negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, following an eight-year stalemate under ultraconservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rouhani secures support from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for efforts to break the deadlock.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany reach a historic accord in Vienna.

The deal places significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief after 12 years of crisis and 21 months of protracted negotiations. It comes into force on January 16, 2016.

Under the accord, Tehran’s nuclear programme is placed under strict UN control subject to guarantees it is not trying to make an atom bomb, something Iran has always denied.

– Trump pulls out –

US president Donald Trump walks away from the deal on May 8, 2018.

“We cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,” he says.

Deal critics had complained from the start about the time limits applied to the deal.

Later in 2018, Washington begins reimposing sanctions on Iran and companies with ties to it, hitting the central bank and the country’s vital oil sector.

Major international firms halt activities in the country.

– Iran walks back –

In May 2019, Iran starts rolling back its commitments in retaliation.

Trump hits back by sanctioning Iran’s steel and mining sectors.

Tehran increases its stockpile of enriched uranium in excess of the limits laid down in the deal.

It announces in early 2020 it is foregoing a limit on its number of uranium-enriching centrifuges.

In 2021, Iran says it has started enriching uranium to up to 60 percent — many times the limit of 3.67 percent imposed by the deal — and closer to weapons-grade.

– Vienna talks –

In April 2021, with President Joe Biden now in the White House, talks on rescuing the accord start in Vienna.

Iran’s new ultraconservative president, Ebrahim Raisi, says in August he is open to negotiations but will not be pressured by sanctions.

Talks resume in November.

– Compromise ‘close’ –

Just as a deal looks close, Russia invades Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and Moscow becomes the target of international sanctions.

Around mid-March, the EU says talks are suspended.

Days later both Washington and Tehran say a compromise is “close”, but differences remain.

– New US sanctions –

On March 30, Washington sanctions suppliers to Tehran’s ballistic missiles programme, which Iran dubs “another sign of the US government’s malice” towards the Islamic republic.

– Nuclear watchdog raps Iran –

On June 8, the IAEA adopts a resolution submitted by Britain, France, Germany and the United States that condemns Iran for the first time in two years.

Iran responds by removing surveillance cameras at nuclear facilities.

On June 16, Washington sanctions a network of Iranian petrochemical firms.

– ‘No progress’ at Qatar talks –

In late June, two days of EU-brokered indirect talks in Doha between Iran and the United States conclude with no progress.

– Return to Vienna –

On July 26, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says he has submitted a draft text of a deal, urging parties to accept it or “risk a dangerous nuclear crisis”.

On August 4, negotiators gather for fresh talks.

On August 7, Iran demands that the UN nuclear watchdog “completely” resolve outstanding issues related to questions over nuclear material at undeclared sites.

– ‘Final’ draft agreement –

The next day Iran says it is examining a “final text” presented by the European Union.

On Tuesday Iran says it has replied to the text, which was delivered late Monday.

The US and EU say they are studying Tehran’s response.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency reports that “an agreement will be concluded if the United States reacts with realism and flexibility” to Iran’s response.

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Iran’s nuclear saga: from 2015 deal to ‘final’ draft text

Paris (AFP) Aug 16, 2022

The main developments in talks on Iran’s nuclear programme since 2015 after Tehran gives its response to a “final” draft agreement aimed at restoring a landmark deal with world powers.

– Historic accord –

Rouhani secures support from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for efforts to … read more