On the way to a new nuclear agreement: The Reuters news agency reported tonight (Thursday) that a draft agreement has been formed between Iran and the powers that revive the principles from 2015. As part of the agreement, Iranian assets worth $ 7 billion will be thawed from banks in South Korea, and Western prisoners imprisoned in Iran will be released. Also, the uranium enrichment level should not exceed 5%. Only after these actions have taken place, will the phase of lifting the sanctions begin.
Western diplomats said the main purpose of the agreement was to return to the original deal to lift sanctions on Iran, including those that harmed the country’s oil sector, in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities. As you may recall, Iran has repeatedly violated these restrictions in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the 2018 nuclear deal, and the re-imposition of sanctions under former U.S. President Donald Trump. While the 2015 deal set uranium enrichment at 3.67%, Iran is now enriching to 60%.
The draft agreement, which is about 20 pages long, sets out the sequence of steps to be taken after it is approved by the parties, starting with the phase that includes the restriction of uranium enrichment by Iran to a level of only 5%. The agreement also hints at other measures that Western diplomats say include lifting the $ 7 billion freeze on Iranian funds held in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions, as well as the release of Western prisoners held in Iran. Also, sources involved in the details said that under the new agreement, Iran will return to enrichment limits to the level of 3.67%.
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Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency “Mehr” yesterday quoted the adviser of the Iranian delegation to the nuclear talks in Vienna, Muhammad Marandi, while saying that there are a number of final issues left to be resolved, and that the Iranian delegation hopes to reach an agreement soon. “The remaining problems can be solved very quickly if the US and the Europeans show flexibility and rationality,” he said.
At the same time, in an interview with the Lebanese Al-Mayadin channel, Marandi claimed that reaching an agreement would not be possible if the Europeans and Americans did not accept Iran’s demands and abide by the nuclear agreement. Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Security Council Secretary Ali Shimkhani noted that the US and Europe have so far not examined the implementation of their commitments to the nuclear deal, and declared his refusal to negotiate firmly outside the scope of the agreement.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagri tweeted tonight that “after weeks of intense talks we are closer than ever to an agreement. But nothing is closed until everything is agreed. Negotiators need to be realistic, avoid disobedience and listen to the lessons of recent years. For serious decisions. “
After weeks of intensive talks, we are closer than ever to an agreement; nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, though.
Our negotiating partners need to be realistic, avoid intransigence and heed lessons of past 4yrs.
Time for their serious decisions. https://t.co/kRnSte9Bzu– علی باقریکنی (@Bagheri_Kani) February 16, 2022
In addition, Ali Shimkhani noted that the abolition of sanctions meant that Iran would enjoy economic and credible benefits, and so pointed out that the breach of US promises was the factor threatening the entire agreement. Abdullahian said he had a telephone conversation with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Burrell, during which he discussed recent developments in the negotiations and stressed that “adherence to Iran’s red lines is very important.”