Iran offers Increased nuclear oversight in Exchange for Sanctions Relief
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran signaled sunday it is indeed prepared to accept stricter international surveillance and limitations on uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, according to a statement by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abás Araqchí published in The Guardian newspaper.
The offer comes as tensions remain high over Iran’s nuclear program and following the activation of a mechanism by the E3 group – France, the united Kingdom, and Germany - to potentially restore sanctions under the 2015 Joint Complete Plan of Action (JCPOA).Araqchí wrote that iran “is willing to achieve a realistic and lasting agreement that raises rigorous surveillance and restrictions on enrichment (of uranium) in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.”
The 2015 JCPOA, originally signed by the E3, the United States, China, Russia, and Iran, aimed to curb Tehran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. However, in 2018, the United States under then-president Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to gradually roll back its commitments under the deal.
The E3’s recent move to trigger the sanctions restoration mechanism gives Iran one month to negotiate a resolution and avoid the reimposition of penalties. Araqchí warned that failing to seize this “open window” would have “devastating consequences of an unpublished level for the region and beyond.”
(AFP, The Guardian/mn)
