U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met in Vienna to finalize the details.
Advertisement
Concerns remain among critics of the nuclear deal in the United States and elsewhere that nuclear-related sanctions relief will allow Iran to intensify its support for non-state groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, and bolster its support for the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared yesterday (Jan 16) that Iran had fulfilled requirements to limit its nuclear activities, a step that automatically lifted nuclear-related economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations, European Union (EU) and United States.
President Obama on Saturday signed executive orders lifting the economic sanctions on Iran, but it was unclear by early evening whether he would make a public statement.
The United States also will allow imports of Iranian carpets, pistachios, saffron and caviar, and – perhaps most important – it will permit foreign subsidiaries of US companies, with certain restrictions, to do business in Iran.
This procedure prevents any of the veto powers which negotiated the accord, such as Russian Federation and China, from blocking any snap-back of Iran sanctions.
In return, the US will either pardon or drop charges against seven Iranians – six of whom are dual citizens – accused or convicted of violating USA sanctions.
The IAEA said that its “inspectors on the ground verified that Iran has carried out all measures required under the [July deal]…to enable Implementation Day to occur”. The statement urges world powers to monitor Iran closely and respond harshly to any violation of its obligations.
“Today is a good day for the Iranian people as sanctions will be lifted today”, Zarif also reportedly said.
Kerry said said he was “very happy to say that as we speak five Americans have been released from custody and they should be on their way home to their families shortly”.
Mogherini said the implementation day marks the key fact that diplomacy could resolve tough issue.
The meeting was the culmination of months of negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal.
The declaration was followed by US and European Union announcements that some sanctions against Tehran would be immediately removed. “What is going to happen today is proof… that major problems in the world could be tackled through dialogue, not threats, pressures and sanctions”.
UN Secretary-General today welcomed implementation of the landmark Iran nuclear deal as a “significant milestone” and hoped it will boost peace, security and stability in the region. This will represent a gain of nearly 14 per cent of Iran’s entire gross national product – one of the biggest windfalls in history.
Advertisement
US Ambassador Samantha Power said work was “far from over” on implementing the nuclear deal and that Iran must “continue to abide by its commitments”.
