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 By Valerie Leroux with Jastinder Khera in Vienna Paris (AFP) June 19, 2020
Europe on Friday toughened its stance on Iran and warned the US against sanctions in the latest bid to stop the unravelling of the international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme. The decision by Germany, France and Britain to back a UN arms embargo extension on Iran follows growing tensions with Tehran since US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord and introduced new sanctions. The three European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal said they had reservations about lifting the arms embargo, a blow to Tehran which had been calling for an end to the restrictions. The joint statement by three European foreign ministers came after the UN nuclear watchdog on Friday also passed a resolution critical of Iran -- the first since 2012 -- and demanded Tehran allow more inspections of two of its nuclear sites. Iran agreed with major world powers in 2015 to halt its nuclear programme in return for an end to crippling sanctions. But since Trump pulled out of the deal, Iran has begun to roll back its own commitments, fuelling US criticism it wants to build nuclear arms, a claim Tehran denies. The ban on selling weapons -- such as battle tanks, combat aircraft, warships and missiles or missile systems -- to Iran had been set to be progressively eased from October. "We believe that the planned lifting of the UN conventional arms embargo established by Resolution 2231 next October would have major implications for regional security and stability," the European ministers said. But the European nations, who remain committed to the nuclear deal, also said they opposed Washington's "maximum" pressure tactics with sanctions. "We firmly believe that any unilateral attempt to trigger UN sanctions snapback would have serious adverse consequences" in the UN Security Council, they said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier this month urged UN Security Council members to oppose a US "conspiracy" to extend the arms embargo. The three European powers said they plan to address the arms embargo issue "in close coordination" with UN Security Council permanent members Russia and China. - Need for inspections - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier on Friday passed a resolution put forward by European states, urging Tehran to provide inspectors access to two sites in Iran to help clarify whether undeclared nuclear activity took place there in the early 2000s. It calls on Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA and satisfy its requests without delay, including by providing prompt access to the sites. Iran has been blocking access to the sites for months, prompting a growing diplomatic row. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has advocated a hard line against Iran on multiple fronts, said Tehran must "immediately comply" or face consequences. "If Iran fails to cooperate, the international community must be prepared to take further action," he said in a statement. But Iran's envoy to the UN in Vienna, Kazem Gharib Abadi, insisted the resolution will not "encourage Iran to grant access to the Agency based on fabricated and unfounded allegations". "Iran categorically deplores this resolution and will take appropriate action in response," he said. Even though the sites in question are not thought to be directly relevant to Iran's current nuclear programme, the agency says it needs to know if activities going back almost two decades have been properly declared and all materials accounted for. - 'No exceptions' - Iran has hinted that such an IAEA resolution could cause "complication and difficulties" for the future of the 2015 accord, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Speaking to reporters after the resolution was passed, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said it would be "absolutely unacceptable" if an example were to be set that states can be selective in their implementation of agreements with the UN agency. "There are no exceptions," Grossi said. "I intend to sit down with Iran very soon and to try to solve this as soon as possible." Iran says the IAEA's access requests are based on allegations from Tehran's arch-enemy Israel. Additional information provided by the IAEA in the form of satellite images to back up its requests "contained no convincing underlying reason" to provide access, Tehran argues.
Unravelling of the Iran nuclear deal Here is a snapshot: - US withdrawal - On May 8, 2018, President Donald Trump withdraws the US from the deal negotiated between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) plus Germany. "We cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement," Trump says. - US sanctions - In August and November 2018, Washington reimposes sanctions on Iran and companies with ties to it, notably hitting Iran's vital oil sector and central bank. Major international firms halt their activities and projects in Iran. In May 2019, Washington ends its sanctions exemptions for countries buying Iranian crude. - Iran starts walk-back - Iran in May 2019 announces its first step back from the deal, seeking to pressure the European signatories to help it get round the sanctions. Trump then sanctions Iran's steel and mining sectors. In July, Tehran says it has exceeded the accord's restrictions on its enriched uranium reserves and uranium enrichment level. - More steps - In September, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog says Iran has started using advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium. On November 4, Tehran says its enrichment increased tenfold and that it has developed two new advanced centrifuges. Later that month, it resumes enrichment at its underground Fordow plant in its fourth walk-back and says its heavy water reserves have passed the accord's limit. - More centrifuges - Tensions between Washington and Tehran spiral after a January 2020 US drone strike kills top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, sparking a tit-for-tat confrontation. Iran announces its fifth step back from the deal on January 5, foregoing a limit on its number of centrifuges. - Dispute mechanism - In mid-January, the European signatories trigger a dispute mechanism set out in the deal, accusing Iran of repeated violations, while saying they remain committed to the accord. On February 14, Iran demands significant economic advantages from Europe in return for cancelling all or part of its rollback measures. On March 31, European signatories say they have delivered medical goods to Iran in the first transaction under the Instex mechanism set up to bypass the US sanctions. - Over the limit - On May 27, Washington ends sanctions waivers for nations that remain in the accord, which allow companies, primarily from Russia, that are still present in Iran to carry out the agreement. On June 5, the IAEA says Iran has accumulated enriched uranium at nearly eight times the limit of the accord and has for months blocked inspections at sites where historic nuclear activity may have occurred. Iran's highest level of enrichment in the stockpile is 4.5 percent, over the deal's limit of 3.67 percent, according to its report. On June 19, IAEA governors pass a resolution critical of Iran, the first of its kind since 2012, urging Tehran to provide its inspectors with access to two historic sites.
Iran warns against UN nuclear watchdog resolution Vienna (AFP) June 16, 2020 Iran criticised on Tuesday a plan to put forward a resolution at a meeting of the UN's nuclear watchdog urging the country to allow access to two disputed sites. European states are expected to submit the resolution at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board of governors' meeting this week. "Introduction of this resolution aiming to call on Iran to cooperate with the Agency... is disappointing and absolutely counterproductive," said Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran's UN ambas ... read more
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