While the US has pointedly “warned” Iran against going too fast in implementing the P5+1 nuclear deal, warning they’re not prepared to accelerate their commitments to ease Iran sanctions sooner, Iranian officials confirmed more efforts toward full implementation.
Visiting Tokyo today, Iranian atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi confirmed in an interview that Iran has begun taking additional centrifuges offline, per the requirements of the deal. Salehi said he believes Iran will have satisfied all commitments within two months.
Salehi is likely to run afoul of US stalling, however, indicating that he believes the sanctions should be “lifted promptly” and in keeping with Iran’s implementation of its obligations under the deal, as US officials have suggested it would be another six months at the earlier before relief begins.
Iran has elections coming up in February, and reformist President Rouhani clearly wants to see the benefits of the deal begin trickling in by then. That may be limited to European and Asian powers, however, with the US seemingly determined to drag it out as long as possible.
But I thought it was the Iranians who would be dragging their feet and using the agreement as a stalling mechanism. Oh, I'm soooo confused!