US restores sanctions waiver on Iran nuclear non-proliferation

The administration of US president Joe Biden has waived sanctions on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, in an attempt to open up the possibility of a settlement on the nuclear deal.

According to media reports, the waiver was revealed by an unnamed State Department official who stressed that it was a necessity for the success of the ongoing nuclear talks in the Austrian capital Vienna.

“The technical discussions facilitated by the waiver are necessary in the final weeks of JCPOA talks,” the official said, specifying that “Absent this sanctions waiver, detailed technical discussions with third parties regarding disposition of stockpiles and other activities of non-proliferation value cannot take place.”

The waiver – which was initially rescinded by the administration of former President Donald Trump in May 2020 – allows for the continuation of the non-military elements in Iran’s nuclear programme by no longer threatening sanctions on countries and companies from China, Russia or Europe which assist Tehran in that regard.

Almost two years after that removal under Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ campaign, the official made it clear that the restoration of the waiver does not mean that the US is about to return to the 2015 nuclear deal yet. After months of delays in the talks, however, such an agreement is reportedly not far off, with officials having said a week ago that Washington and its allies were close to reviving the deal.

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According to this latest official, the waiver will benefit discussions on the issue of Iran’s nuclear non-proliferation in the long-term, even if a final deal is not reached.

In a tweet posted yesterday, the State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated that the move does not signify overall sanctions relief and is conditional on Tehran returning to its commitments under the nuclear deal. “We did precisely what the last administration did: permit our international partners to address growing nuclear non-proliferation and safety risks in Iran,” Price stressed.

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.

— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) February 4, 2022

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian responded to the restoration of the waiver today by calling it “good but not enough.” He said that while the “lifting of some sanctions can, in the true sense of the word, translate into their good will…it should be known that what happens on paper is good but not enough.”

Iranian security chief Ali Shamkhani also insisted that it is already Tehran’s legal right to enhance its peaceful nuclear programme. “Iran’s legal right to continue research and development and to maintain its peaceful nuclear capabilities and achievements, along with its security against supported evils, cannot be restricted by any agreement,” he said.

Read: US Deputy Special Envoy for Iran leaves post amid Iran nuclear talks