Nuclear agreement: Iranian oil exports to be continued

Two months ago, the United States stepped out of the nuclear agreement with Iran. Now the other signatory countries have agreed on measures to save them.

Nuclear agreement: Iranian oil exports to be continued

In dispute over nuclear agreement with Iran, Germany, France, Great Britain, China and Russia agreed to continue to support Iran's right to export oil and gas. At meeting of Foreign Ministers in Vienna, five states shared ir commitment to ir economic relations with Iran. This encloses continuation of Iran's oil and gas exports.

The pledge is part of a longer list of measures to save nuclear agreement. The EU external representative Federica Mogherini led meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Dschawad Sarif. It was first meeting of its kind since US President Donald Trump unilaterally terminated agreement with Iran two months ago.

Iran shows confidence

The 2015 nuclear agreement provides for Iran to retract and monitor its nuclear programme. In this way, country is to be prevented from building a nuclear weapon. In return, signatory States promised to develop a mutual economic relationship. At beginning of May, Trump had announced US exit from nuclear agreement and threatened to reintroduce US sanctions against Iran. Since n, it is unclear how agreement will proceed. Iran had recently stressed that it would only want to stick to agreement if it profited from it economically.

The nuclear agreement with Iran Trump and Iran deal

The 2015 concluded International Nuclear agreement between Iran on one hand and United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom and Germany on or, concern about an Iranian Atomic bomb disperse. The Tehran regime is committed to drastically shutting down its uranium enrichment and allowing more stringent international controls . In return, punitive measures against country will be gradually abolished. US President Donald Trump claims Tehran would not fulfill "spirit" of agreement. Both ongoing expansion of Iranian missile programme and Iran's military involvement in conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, US government sees as a violation of agreement. The US Congress refore repeatedly imposed new sanctions on Iranian missile program under Trump and on violation of human rights. Experts doubt wher agreement can also be interpreted politically. The or contracting States want to stick to agreement and improve it if necessary.

Sanctions

The agreement allows Iran to use nuclear technology in a civilian , but at same time prevents development of nuclear weapons. After International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed to Iran fulfilment of requirements of agreement, EU, United States and UN raised ir previously imposed financial and trade sanctions in January 2016. The US government must make a statement to Congress every 90 days to see wher Iran meets requirements of nuclear agreement. The Trump government has already done this twice, but refused to pledge third time. A UNarms embargo against Iran will remain in force until 2020, and US sanctions against Iranian missile program are also in place until 2023.

Inspections

The IAEA closely monitors all nuclear facilities in country. At beginning of May, authority once again indicated that re were no credible indications that Iran was working on development of nuclear weapons since 2009.

According to agreement, Iran has undertaken to submit its nuclear enrichment programme to a multilevel system of restrictions and controls for up to 25 years. Inspectors are given access to uranium mining and nuclear facilities. You may inspect suspicious equipment to check for any hidden activity. According to agreement, Tehran has reduced its centrifuges necessary for uranium enrichment from 19,000 to 6,000. You may only enrich radioactive material to 3.67 percent. The stocks of enriched uranium were reduced from almost 12,000 kilograms to 300 kilograms. From year 2025, however, restrictions on Iranian uranium enrichment may be eased again. The US government and France criticize that. In case of heavy water, which can be used in reactors that produce weapons-capable plutonium , a maximum of 130 tonnes is permitted. Iran had exceeded this value twice, but after IAEA's exhortation, it immediately held back to limit.

After meeting of foreign ministers, Iranian side was confident. "The meeting was a step forward," said Iran's foreign minister Dschawad Sarif. "Yet re are obligations on part of EU to date. They have to be put into practice until first sanction date (6 August). "

Date Of Update: 07 July 2018, 12:02