Iran’s Rouhani rules out changes to nuclear deal
Context:
- President Hassan Rouhani ruled out changes to Iran’s nuclear accord with world powers and dismissed calls to broaden the terms of the deal and include regional countries.
- S. President Joe Biden has voiced support for returning to the accord, from which Donald Trump exited.
About the Treaty:
- The Iran nuclear deal framework was a preliminary framework agreement reached in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of world powers: the P5+1 (the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and China—plus Germany) and the European Union.
- Based on the April 2015 Iran nuclear deal framework, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran and the P5+1 and EU was announced on July 14, 2015 in Vienna.
What did Iran agree to?
Nuclear restrictions:
- Iran agreed not to produce either the highly enriched uranium or the plutonium that could be used in a nuclear weapon.
- It also took steps to ensure that its Fordow, Natanz, and Arak facilities pursued only civilian work, including medical and industrial research.
- The accord limits the numbers and types of centrifuges Iran can operate, the level of its enrichment, as well as the size of its stockpile of enriched uranium.
Monitoring and verification:
- Iran agreed to eventually implement a protocol that would allow IAEA inspectors unfettered access to its nuclear facilities and potentially to undeclared sites.
- However, it has yet to fulfill this pledge. Inspections are intended to guard against the possibility that Iran could develop nuclear arms in secret, as it has allegedly attempted before.
- The IAEA issues quarterly reports to its board of governors and the UN Security Council on Iran’s implementation of its nuclear commitments.
- A majority vote by its members can gain IAEA inspectors access to suspicious, undeclared sites. The body also oversees the transfer of nuclear-related or dual-use materials.
What did the other signatories agree to?
Sanctions relief:
- The EU, United Nations, and United States all committed to lifting their nuclear-related sanctions on Iran. However, many other U.S. sanctions on Iran, some dating back to the 1979 hostage crisis, remained in effect.
- They cover matters such as Iran’s ballistic missile program, support for terrorist groups, and human rights abuses.
- Though the United States committed to lifting its sanctions on oil exports, it kept restrictions on financial transactions, which have deterred international trade with Iran.
Weapons embargo:
- The parties agreed to lift an existing UN ban on Iran’s transfer of conventional weapons and ballistic missiles after five years if the IAEA certifies that Iran is only engaged in civilian nuclear activity.
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