Iran, West start implementing nuclear deal
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Iran yesterday unplugged banks of centrifuges involved in its most sensitive uranium enrichment work, prompting the United States and European Union to partially lift economic sanctions, putting into effect a landmark deal aimed at easing concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.
The steps start a six-month clock for Tehran and the world powers to negotiate a final accord that the Obama administration and its European allies say will be intended to ensure Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon.
In the meantime, the interim deal puts limits on Iran’s program — though it continues low levels of uranium enrichment. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The payoff to Iran is an injection of billions of dollars into its crippled economy over the next six months from the suspension of some sanctions — though other sanctions remain in place.
‘Important milestone’
British Foreign Secretary William Hague called the deal “an important milestone” — but not the ultimate goal.
“It’s important that other sanctions are maintained and the pressure is maintained for a comprehensive and final settlement on the Iranian nuclear issue,” Hague said.
The Europeans are aiming to start negotiations on a final deal in February, though no date or venue has been agreed on yet. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Saturday that Tehran is ready to enter talks as soon as the interim deal goes into force.
In the first step of the interim accord, Iranian state TV said authorities disconnected cascades of centrifuges producing 20-percent enriched uranium at the Natanz facility in central Iran. The broadcast said international inspectors were on hand to witness the stoppage before leaving to monitor suspension of enrichment at Fordo, another site in central Iran.
Iran also started yesterday to convert part of its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium to oxide. This can be used to produce nuclear fuel but is difficult to reconvert for weapons use, the official IRNA news agency said.
Suspension of sanctions
After receiving independent confirmation of the steps from the United Nations watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, EU foreign ministers in Brussels approved the partial sanctions suspension.
The White House also announced the suspension of some US sanctions on Iran.
EU measures include the suspension of a 2012 ban on insuring and transporting Iranian crude oil that caused a more than 50 percent drop in Tehran’s oil exports.
The EU also will suspend bans on trade in gold, precious metals and petrochemical products while increasing a ceiling on financial transfers not related to remaining sanctions.
The US will allow the six current customers of Iranian oil to maintain purchases at current reduced levels for the six-month duration of the interim deal, the Treasury Department said.
Washington also took steps to suspend sanctions on non-US people engaged in transactions related to Iran’s petrochemical exports.
“These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program, and roll it back in key respects,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said.
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