Brussels, 14/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 14 July, nearly 12 years after the launch of the first diplomatic endeavours, a final agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme was concluded between Iran - which is committed “never” to develop nuclear weapons - and the international community - which has promised in return to lift its sanctions gradually. The agreement will allow “trust” to be built and “a new chapter in our relationship” to be opened, according to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
“With courage, political will, mutual respect and leadership, we delivered on what the world was hoping for - a shared commitment to peace and to join hands in order to make our world safer”, Mogherini and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said together at the end of 18 consecutive days of talks in Vienna between Iran and the E3+3 Group (USA, Russia, China, France, UK and Germany). The agreement “will ensure Iran's nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful”. It thus marks “a fundamental shift” in the situation, Mogherini and Zarif state. Iran is therefore committed never to “seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons”, they conclude.
The final agreement is based on the interim agreement that was concluded in April (see EUROPE 11289) and which had already enabled the key parameters to be set of the so-called joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA) for managing the Iranian nuclear programme. All the issues are addressed in it - from the question of enrichment, to the issue of supervision and inspections, to the lifting of sanctions and the future Iranian civilian nuclear programme. In April, the negotiations had left two issues outstanding in particular - that of the extent of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) power of inspection, and that of the speed at which the international sanctions on Iran should be lifted.
In the end, the sanctions are to be lifted gradually and the suspension of some of the EU's sanctions (which was decided upon earlier in order to facilitate the negotiations) has been extended by the Council of the EU until 14 January 2016. If Iran respects its short-term commitments, the EU, USA and UN are expected to start lifting sanctions from the first quarter of 2016. The final goal is to have “the comprehensive lifting of all UN Security Council sanctions as well as multilateral and national sanctions related to Iran's nuclear programme, including steps on access in areas of trade, technology, finance and energy”, Mogherini and Zarif state. According to several diplomats quoted by press agency Reuters, the UN arms embargo on Iran would thus reportedly be maintained for five years, while the missiles embargo would be maintained for eight years. The agreement also reportedly provides for all the sanctions being able to be reintroduced within 65 days if Tehran does not respect its commitments.
In return for lifting the sanctions, Iran has confirmed its commitment to not developing or acquiring enriched uranium or plutonium for 15 years and to reducing its existing capacities - especially the number of centrifuges and its stock of uranium. Monitoring measures will “stay in place permanently”, according to US Secretary of State John Kerry, who says that the IAEA is tasked with monitoring all questions linked to the Iranian nuclear programme in three months - which is the prerequisite for starting to lift the sanctions. It is still uncertain, however, how far the IAEA inspectors will be able to investigate the military part of the Iranian programme.
Reactions to this agreement have been numerous and almost unanimous. European Council President Donald Tusk spoke of an agreement which “could be a turning point in relations between Iran and the international community, paving the way to new avenues of cooperation between the EU and Iran. Geopolitically, it has the potential to be a game changer”, Tusk stated. In a televised address, US President Barack Obama said he fully supported the result of the negotiations, already sending a clear message to the Republican-dominated US Congress that he “will veto any legislation that prevents the successful implementation of this deal”. Only Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was critical and alarmist, speaking of a “historic mistake” which will give rise to a terrorist nuclear superpower. (Jan Kordys)