US President Joe Biden’s administration has waived sanctions on Iran’s civilian nuclear programme.
The waiver allows other countries and companies to participate in Iran’s civilian nuclear programme without triggering US sanctions on them, in the name of promoting safety and non-proliferation.
It was rescinded by the United States in 2019 and 2020 under former President Donald Trump, who pulled out of the nuclear agreement.
The move is a technical step necessary to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement as per the US State Department.
In response, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said “The lifting of some sanctions can, in the true sense of the word, translate into their good will. Americans talk about it, but it should be known that what happens on paper is good but not enough.”
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Amir-Abdollahian reiterated that one of the “main issues” in the talks is obtaining guarantees that the US will not withdraw from the 2015 deal again.
“We demand guarantees in the political, legal and economic spheres. Certain agreements have already been reached,” he added.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in a post on Twitter: “Iran’s legal right to continue research and development and maintain its peaceful nuclear capabilities and achievements, side by side with its security … cannot be curbed by any agreement.”
#Iran‘s legal right to continue research and development and to maintain its peaceful nuclear capabilities and achievements, along with its security against supported evils, cannot be restricted by any agreement.
— علی شمخانی (@alishamkhani_ir) February 5, 2022
It comes as indirect American-Iranian talks on reviving the 2015 international nuclear deal with Tehran enter the final stretch. Both countries have held eight rounds of indirect talks in Vienna since April aimed at reinstating the pact.
There has been no formal announcement on when the ninth round would start, but expectations intensified that it could be next week.
After Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions, Iran gradually started violating the pact’s nuclear curbs. Western diplomats now worry that its nuclear advancement leaves a very narrow window to return to the deal.
(With inputs from agencies)
