Iran to comply with nuclear deal:
Iran
could comply with last summer's nuclear deal as early as Friday or this
weekend, officials said, requiring the United States and other nations
to immediately suspend billions of dollars' worth of economic sanctions
on the Islamic Republic.
Secretary of State John Kerry predicted Wednesday the achievement "within the next coming days."
Just
hours after welcoming Iran's release of 10 US sailors it detained when
their boats wandered on to an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, Kerry
said in a speech at the National Defense University that implementation
of the nuclear agreement will take place soon, without specifying an
exact date.
Others in Washington and elsewhere said the announcement could come within two days.
In
Vienna, a senior diplomat from one of the six countries that cut the
deal with Iran said it would be formally declared implemented "most
probably Friday." Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.
In Tehran, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed that sentiment.
READ MORE: The personal touch: Zarif, Kerry and 10 US sailors
He
said the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to verify
Iran's compliance on Friday and that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini would then
announce "implementation day," according to Iran's official IRNA news
agency.
"I
believe the parties will perform their undertakings by Friday and
Saturday and Sunday and the implementation day would be announced on
that time," Araghchi said.
Iran nuclear deal enters new phase
He
said the foreign ministers who negotiated the July accord - including
Kerry, Zarif and their counterparts from Britain, China, France, Germany
and Russia - may meet to deliver a joint statement. Kerry is expected
to be in Europe this weekend on other business.
Under
the terms of the deal, once Iran meets its obligations to curb its
nuclear programme, it is to receive wide-ranging sanctions relief. For
the US that means suspension of nuclear-related sanctions on Iranian
oil, banking and commerce.
Iran
was required to ship out most of its stockpile of enriched uranium, a
material that can be used for making bombs, and take apart thousands of
the centrifuges that enrich the material.
It
also had to disable a heavy water reactor that would have been able to
produce plutonium, another pathway to nuclear weapons, which the
Iranians did earlier this week. Most of the nuclear restrictions last 10
or 15 years.
READ MORE: Iran expands missile programme amid US sanctions threat
While
Iran accomplished all the biggest tasks in recent weeks, several
technical hiccups remained. Officials had spoken of lingering questions
related to Iran's uranium and plutonium programmes, including over the
properties of certain centrifuges Iran would be permitted to maintain
for research purposes.
It's not clear how quickly Iran would reap the benefits of the deal.
Tehran
expects to quickly recoup some $100 billion worth of its assets that
have been frozen in overseas banks, a tremendous windfall for an economy
with a GDP of little more than $400 billion in 2014.
While
the Iranians have aggressively courted foreign companies and investors
in recent months, it is unclear how quickly contracts can be finalised.
Also
unknown is how determined major Western firms, in particular, will be
given the risk of "snapback" sanctions if Iran violates the deal and the
history of US penalties against European banks that have previously
conducted business with Iran.
Source: Agencies
Implementation to come soon, US Secretary of State says, meaning Iran to reap lifting of economic sanctions.
Iran
could comply with last summer's nuclear deal as early as Friday or this
weekend, officials said, requiring the United States and other nations
to immediately suspend billions of dollars' worth of economic sanctions
on the Islamic Republic.
Secretary of State John Kerry predicted Wednesday the achievement "within the next coming days."
Just
hours after welcoming Iran's release of 10 US sailors it detained when
their boats wandered on to an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, Kerry
said in a speech at the National Defense University that implementation
of the nuclear agreement will take place soon, without specifying an
exact date.
Others in Washington and elsewhere said the announcement could come within two days.
In
Vienna, a senior diplomat from one of the six countries that cut the
deal with Iran said it would be formally declared implemented "most
probably Friday." Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.
In Tehran, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed that sentiment.
READ MORE: The personal touch: Zarif, Kerry and 10 US sailors
He
said the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to verify
Iran's compliance on Friday and that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini would then
announce "implementation day," according to Iran's official IRNA news
agency.
"I
believe the parties will perform their undertakings by Friday and
Saturday and Sunday and the implementation day would be announced on
that time," Araghchi said.
Iran nuclear deal enters new phase
He
said the foreign ministers who negotiated the July accord - including
Kerry, Zarif and their counterparts from Britain, China, France, Germany
and Russia - may meet to deliver a joint statement. Kerry is expected
to be in Europe this weekend on other business.
Under
the terms of the deal, once Iran meets its obligations to curb its
nuclear programme, it is to receive wide-ranging sanctions relief. For
the US that means suspension of nuclear-related sanctions on Iranian
oil, banking and commerce.
Iran
was required to ship out most of its stockpile of enriched uranium, a
material that can be used for making bombs, and take apart thousands of
the centrifuges that enrich the material.
It
also had to disable a heavy water reactor that would have been able to
produce plutonium, another pathway to nuclear weapons, which the
Iranians did earlier this week. Most of the nuclear restrictions last 10
or 15 years.
READ MORE: Iran expands missile programme amid US sanctions threat
While
Iran accomplished all the biggest tasks in recent weeks, several
technical hiccups remained. Officials had spoken of lingering questions
related to Iran's uranium and plutonium programmes, including over the
properties of certain centrifuges Iran would be permitted to maintain
for research purposes.
It's not clear how quickly Iran would reap the benefits of the deal.
Tehran
expects to quickly recoup some $100 billion worth of its assets that
have been frozen in overseas banks, a tremendous windfall for an economy
with a GDP of little more than $400 billion in 2014.
While
the Iranians have aggressively courted foreign companies and investors
in recent months, it is unclear how quickly contracts can be finalised.
Also
unknown is how determined major Western firms, in particular, will be
given the risk of "snapback" sanctions if Iran violates the deal and the
history of US penalties against European banks that have previously
conducted business with Iran.
Source: Agencies
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