On Friday, the Biden administration restored sanctions waivers for Iran’s civilian nuclear program, a move the State Department said was meant to help facilitate talks to revive the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
The waivers mean any foreign countries, including Russia, China, and countries in Europe, that work with Iran on its nuclear program cannot be targeted by US sanctions. The waivers are an aspect of the JCPOA and were rescinded by the Trump administration in 2020.
“The waiver with respect to these activities is designed to facilitate discussions that would help to close a deal on a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA and lay the groundwork for Iran’s return to performance of its JCPOA commitments,” the State Department said in a notice to Congress.
According to The Associated Press, the waivers allow foreign countries and companies to work on civilian projects at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power station, its Arak heavy water plant, and the Tehran Research Reactor.
The waiver is a hopeful sign for the JCPOA. Negotiators are expected to return to Vienna soon in what could be the final round of talks, although Iran said earlier this week that “significant issues” remain.
Iran hawks were quick to criticize the move, and State Department spokesman Ned Price insisted that the waivers were not “sanctions relief.”
“We did NOT provide sanctions relief for Iran and WILL NOT until/unless Tehran returns to its commitments under the JCPOA. We did precisely what the last Administration did: permit our international partners to address growing nuclear nonproliferation and safety risks in Iran,” Price wrote on Twitter.
They aren’t “sanctions relief”. For once, Price is correct. And he also reiterated the Biden administration demand that Iran “return to its commitments under the JCPOA” – which he knows Iran will not do until the sanctions that affect its economy are removed.
Watch everyone claim that this is some sort of “positive move” on the part of the US – which it quite clearly is not.
So the circus continues.
“Iran hawks were quick to criticize the move”
Anytime it pisses the Hawks off it’s a good thing.
I disagree that it is not a hopeful sign. This is more than the Biden Administration has ever offered Iran, no matter how temporary it may prove to be. In the absence, so far, of any sanctions relief the Iranians can trust, this is at least something they can do now to show good faith, something we haven’t seen in a while.
Iran is demanding treaty status for the new agreement. Were Biden serious about “the Iran problem” he would be making the heroic effort at getting his caucus in line along with the MSM, … that’s where the rubber meets the road. Until we see that, he’s just another ‘Israel first’r’.
That would be heroic indeed. It can’t get past the Senate now and certainly won’t after the midterms. So all Biden can offer is a “we’ll recognize it for now” promise to the Iranians that isn’t worth squat. Simply returning to the default of the NPT, which the Iranians have always abided by (unlike the US), might be what ultimately happens.
Too Little, Too Late, Not Enough….! Now US would make a big deal out of this gesture…!
This is all so absurd. Had the sanctions been lifted day one of the Biden Administration, Iranian enrichment activity would by now be a tiny fraction of its current level.
This is true. They’ve only been enriching beyond 20% as a protest against the US abrogation of JPCOA.
Apparently some of the sanctions are in law, not merely executive actions, and can’t be lifted. Iran is insisting that all sanctions be lifted. So the JCPOA appears to be dead in the water, which is a plus IMO. Iran knows for sure that the US can’t be trusted, for one thing. Also Iran has powerful friends in Russia and China, and Iran has a lot to offer including geographical position, for the BRI, and energy supplies, gas and oil.
I have not heard such a thing and a Google search of “biden can’t lift iran sanctions without congress” yields nothing. Source?
LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR IRAN SANCTIONS
So that’s why the US wants to issue “waivers” of the law, because the president can’t cancel a law.
Thank you for the information. I have bookmarked it for perusal later. My question going in is whether Biden has in fact done all he can with executive orders.
Translation:
Israel: Iran is building a nuclear weapon! The are teh eeevulll !
Iran: No, we’re not. We’re hardly doing anything nuclear anymore thanks to sanctions.
US: Oooh, right !!! (lifts nuclear sanctions)
Iran: Ah, thanks?
EU (- Germany): Selling civilian nuclear tech! Selling civilian nuclear tech! Peaceful, warm and fuzzy civilian nuclear tech!
The meaningless gesture. Russia did not recognize US sanctions, as Russia does not recognize “sanctikns” that are not UN sanctiins. The measures that US calls sanctions are really embargoes on a country based in US domestic legislation or regulations.
So, Russia never stopped sevicing the olant it built.
As fot tgevremival of sanctions, is there any other country that will now get involved in Iranian nuclear power planr?
Once bitten., Europe will have nothing to do with Iranian anything, unless US removes sanctiins.
With 30 year contract with China and 25 year contract with Russia— Iran only wants a peaceful resolution. Nothing more. But this is precisely what US vmcannit do. Now, all the hopes are put into Israel’s new relatiins with Gulf, to possibly cook up and revitalize former state of tension against Iran. A big snooze is the response, so far.
It us all much too little and much too late.
More important than you would think. These waivers allowed Iran to say within the 3.5% enrichment level because a Russian company provided the small amount of nuclear fuel the Iranian reactor needed that was up to 5%. The nuclear fuel was mostly 3.5% but also required a mix of slightly more enriched uranium. When Pompeo removed the waiver, the Russian company backed out of the deal. The Russian govt does not enrich fuel, a company does and it has to decide whether or not to deal w/U.S. sanctions.
1. This shows the long arm of the U.S. Treasure Dept.
2. This shows the devious nature of the Pompeo’s, force Iran to enrich their own fuel and then accuse them of bad faith.
The State Spox Ned Price has made the US position clear: