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The United States and European powers have called on Hassan Rouhani’s government to once again comply with the 2015 nuclear deal, but Iran places conditions on sanctions.
The United States has agreed to participate in the multilateral talks with Iran sponsored by the European Union (EU), with the aim of resuming the terms of the historic 2015 nuclear agreement.
At the time, Iran pledged to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international economic sanctions on the country.
A framework of understanding that was suspended when the former US president Donald Trump retired from it in 2018 and it reincorporated the punitive actions against the Islamic republic.
But the government of Joe Biden is now willing to resume the path of the call Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA).
“The E3s (France, the United Kingdom and Germany) and the United States have affirmed their common objective that Iran return to full respect of its commitments regarding the JCPOA. The Secretary [Antony J.] Blinken reiterated that, as President Biden has said, if Iran strictly again fulfills its commitments under the JCPOA, the United States will do the same and is ready to enter into talks with Iran to that end, “the joint statement says that the ministers the European and US Foreign Ministry published on Thursday after a meeting addressing the issue.
This US gesture comes at a “critical moment” to resolve the conflict, according to the EU diplomatic representative, Enrique Mora.
Iran has not formally responded to the proposal, but the first reaction from the Hassan Rouhani government shows the delicate balance to bring the negotiations to fruition.
Image source, Reuters
Iran threatens to prevent access to its nuclear facilities.
Iran calls for lifting sanctions
Its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, suggested in a tweet that the country would only fully comply with the agreement once the US sanctions have been lifted.
“Our corrective measures are a response to US / E3 violations. Eliminate the cause if they fear the effect. We will respond to ACTION with action,” he wrote on his personal account.
Iran has increased pressure on the Biden Executive, threatening to block international inspections of its nuclear facilities if the US does not lift sanctions.
Since Trump withdrew from the agreement, Iran, which claims its nuclear program is peaceful, has resumed or initiated nuclear activities prohibited by its terms. Something that has increased suspicions among the signatories about Tehran’s intentions.
For its part, the US and its European allies they ask you to refrain from blocking inspections, warning in its statement that this measure would be “dangerous.”
And they warned of their commitment that Iran “can never develop a nuclear weapon.”
Thus, the next step to elucidate seems to be who gives in first to sit at the negotiating table.
Biden, who has eased travel restrictions on Iranian UN diplomats, says he will lift sanctions when Iran resumes compliance with the agreement, reports Barbara Plett-Usher, a specialist journalist with the BBC. For its part, Iran demands that they cease now.
Image source, Getty Images
Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, but the Biden Administration appears willing to rectify the decision.
What did the agreement establish?
Suspicions that Iran was using its nuclear program as a cover to develop a nuclear bomb led the EU, the United States and the UN to impose sanctions in 2010.
In 2015, Iran reached an agreement with six powers – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany – limiting its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Under the terms of the agreement, Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium and allow international inspectors access to its facilities.
Why was the agreement broken?
Trump abandoned the agreement in May 2018 and reinstated US sanctions.
I wanted a new deal that would also slow down Iran’s ballistic missile program and their participation in regional conflicts.
Iran refused and, when the sanctions went into effect, plunged into a economic crisis.
Since sanctions were tightened in 2019, Iran has acted to stop international inspections of its nuclear facilities and stepped up uranium enrichment, in breach of the agreement.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.