Approach in several phases
There are signs of a solution to the nuclear dispute with Iran
02/17/2022, 7:46 p.m
Under President Trump, the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and reinstated sanctions. Years later, a draft agreement is on the table. Accordingly, Iran should refrain from enriching uranium. Another point is the release of western prisoners.
A solution is in sight in the longstanding dispute over Iran’s nuclear program between a group of states and the Islamic Republic. Three diplomats familiar with negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal told Reuters that a possible deal is beginning to take shape. According to this, a draft of more than 20 pages provides several steps to resolve the conflict. This includes Iran’s refusal to enrich uranium.
The aim of the current negotiations in Vienna is to revive the 2015 nuclear deal concluded between Iran on the one hand and the USA, Russia, China, Great Britain, France and Germany on the other. The United States, under then-President Donald Trump, unilaterally terminated the treaty in 2018 and reinstated sanctions. As a result, Iran no longer adhered to all the details of the treaty.
US President Joe Biden has agreed in principle to return to the agreement. The agreement aims to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. The Islamic Republic has always denied such plans, but prevented controls. Western countries are prepared to forego sanctions. In return, Iran must refrain from enriching uranium – which is capable of being used as a nuclear weapon above a certain concentration – and allow international controls on its nuclear facilities.
Release of Iranian funds planned
According to the diplomats, the first phase of the draft is not only to stop uranium enrichment, but also to release an Iranian fund worth seven billion dollars that has been put on hold in South Korean banks because of US sanctions. Another point is the release of Western prisoners. Only when the first phase is completed should sanctions be ended. According to the information, this is primarily about the US ban on Iranian oil exports. However, these oil sanctions are not to be completely abolished. Rather, they are to be suspended for a limited period of time, so that the USA must renew its waiver of the punitive measures every few months.
According to the information, a possible stumbling block is Iran’s demand for a guarantee from the United States that it will not unilaterally terminate the contract again, as it did under Trump. Western officials said it was impossible because one could not bind future US administrations. The diplomats dampened hopes that a breakthrough had been achieved. The talks that started ten months ago could still fail. They referred to the basic principle of all negotiations, according to which nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called on Iran to decide in the next few days whether an agreement is possible.