French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says some EU sanctions on Iran could be lifted as early as next month, as part of a nuclear deal with world powers.
He was speaking after crowds in Tehran cheered negotiators who had agreed to curb some of Iran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. The six-month interim deal agreed in Geneva prompted a fall in oil prices on markets on Monday. But Israel’s prime minister has warned the agreement is a “historic mistake”. US President Barack Obama phoned Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the deal on Sunday. He told the Israeli leader he understood Israel “has good reason to be sceptical about Iran’s intentions” and promised to consult its ally closely, the White House said. Saudi Arabia is also unhappy with the way the deal had been done. One London-based official told the BBC his country had been lied to. ‘Nothing is settled’ Mr Fabius told French radio on Monday that “Iran is committed to giving up the prospect of nuclear weapons. It’s perfectly clear”. However, he insisted that the temporary deal could be reversed if its terms were not adhered to, saying: “As long as some things remained to be settled, nothing is settled.” European Union foreign ministers would meet “in a few weeks” to put forward a proposal to partially lift some sanctions on Iran, which the 28-member bloc would then have to approve. The limited lifting of sanctions would take place “in December”, he added. France, the UK, Germany, the US, Russia and China took part in the talks with Iran, hosted by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Under the deal which will last six months, Iran would receive some $7bn (£4.3bn) in “limited, temporary, targeted, and reversible [sanctions] relief” while a permanent agreement is sought. In return, Tehran has agreed to a series of measures surrounding its nuclear programme. Key points of the deal include:• Iran will stop enriching uranium beyond 5%, and “neutralise” its stockpile of uranium enriched beyond this point • Iran will give greater access to inspectors including daily access at Natanz and Fordo- two of Iran’s key nuclear sites • There will be no further development of the Arak plant which it is believed could produce plutonium • In return, there will be no new nuclear-related sanctions for six months if Iran sticks by the accord • Some sanctions will be suspended on trading in gold and precious metals, on Iran’s car-making sector and its petrochemical exports. • Frozen oil sale assets will be transferred in instalments, bringing
in some $4.2bn (£2.6bn) of extra revenue Arriving at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport, Iran’s negotiators were welcomed by hundreds of cheering supporters carrying flowers and flags. The crowd hailed Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, as an “ambassador of peace” and chanted, “No to war, sanctions, surrender and insult”. Speaking to Iranian state television at the airport, Mr Zarif said Iran was prepared to take the necessary steps to keep the deal on track. World powers suspect Iran’s nuclear programme is secretly aiming at developing a nuclear bomb – a charge Iran has consistently denied. A raft of sanctions has been imposed on Iran in recent years, by the UN, US and the European Union, in an attempt by the international
community to press Tehran to stop enriching uranium. Sceptical about Iran President Obama welcomed the deal, saying it would “help prevent Iran
from building a nuclear weapon”. But Mr Netanyahu said Israel would not be bound by the agreement, saying he had a “duty to speak out”. “We cannot and will not allow a regime that calls for the destruction of Israel to obtain the means to achieve this goal.” His comments came as it was revealed that the US and Iran had held a series of face-to-face talks in recent months that paved the way for the agreement but were kept secret even from their allies.
The Associated Press said at least five meetings had been held, the first in March in the Gulf state of Oman and the others after President Hassan Rouhani had come to power. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Vice-President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan took part in the talks. The interim agreement reached in Geneva with Iran – the world’s fourth-largest oil producer – prompted a fall in oil prices in early Asian trading on Monday, with Brent crude falling by more than 2%. Although Iran will not be allowed to increase its oil sales for six months, analysts say the deal is perceived by the markets as reducing risk in the Middle East. Earlier, US Secretary of State John Kerry told ABC’s This Week programme that the deal was a first step in making sure Iran could not have nuclear weapons. “Israel will actually gain a larger breathing space in terms of the breakout capacity [to make a nuclear weapon] of Iran,” he said. He added that he hoped Congress would not pass new sanctions but Republican senators – as well as some from President Obama’s Democratic party – have expressed concerns about the deal and say more sanctions are possible In a nationwide broadcast on Sunday, President Rouhani repeated that his country would never seek a nuclear weapon. “No matter what interpretations are given, Iran’s right to enrichment has been recognised,” he said. Tehran insists it must be allowed to enrich uranium to use in power stations. The deal comes just over three months since Mr Rouhani – regarded as a relative moderate – took office in August, replacing the hardline Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It has also been backed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in nuclear matters. – BBC News
