2015: The Year of the Conclusion of the Nuclear Negotiations

As the hours approached the beginning of the year 1394 (2015), they were intertwined with the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group. In the early morning of March 20, senior diplomats from Iran, the United States, China, France, Russia, Britain, and Germany had not yet reached an agreement on the framework of the deal in the luxurious Boryeong hotel. Boryeong, along with the diplomats and dozens of journalists who had traveled to Lausanne to cover the negotiations, were all preparing to start the Persian New Year in this city when suddenly, the Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Javad Zarif, along with accompanying journalists, left Lausanne for Tehran. The new year 1394 began in an atmosphere of ambiguity... Although U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry left the city of Lausanne with positive remarks, stating that 'the meetings have been useful and constructive.' However, the Iranian delegation and journalists did not last long during the 13-day Nowruz holidays. Just six days into Farvardin 94 (April 2015), everyone returned from all corners of the world to Lausanne to see if an agreement was achievable. Boryeong, by Lake Geneva, became a base where all eyes were focused, hoping that the final knot would be untied. Its luxurious corridors turned into dormitories for observers of the exhausting negotiations. Iranian diplomats and the P5+1 group were constantly in motion... At some point past midnight, the Russian foreign minister left the venue, and shortly after, the French foreign minister returned to Lausanne. It was still unclear what exactly this round-the-clock effort was aiming for. How comprehensive would the outcome be? Would announcing another agreement that was not comprehensive help the process or not? A day before the announcement of the Lausanne agreement, photos began to emerge from the negotiation room showing the delegations reviewing several papers, writings that were introduced on Farvardin 13 (April 2) as the framework for a comprehensive agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program. On the evening of Farvardin 13, Swiss planners prepared several buses and transported journalists to a hall at the Polytechnic University of Lausanne. In that hall, the Iranian foreign minister announced the news of reaching an agreement: 'Our decision today, which lays the foundations for the final text of the JCPOA, is very important. We can now begin drafting the final agreement and its annexes using the solutions we have reached in these past few days.' Following this statement from Mohammad Javad Zarif and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, who generally explained the outcome, the U.S. released a multi-page document titled a fact sheet, which provided more detailed explanations about the agreement. These few pages sparked extensive discussions in Iran. Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister, in an effort to reduce the amount of speculation, stated in one of Iran's television programs: 'It is common that after any negotiation or political event, the parties involved present their narratives to their audiences, and each party highlights and presents the parts they find favorable.' A three-month opportunity was provided for the negotiators to work on finalizing the details of the final agreement. At the beginning of this opportunity, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a law requiring Barack Obama to submit any potential agreement with Iran to lawmakers for review, and during the review period, no sanctions would be lifted. This law was approved in the U.S. Senate on May 6. On that day, Republican Senator Bob Corker, the main supporter of this law, stated: 'I think the American people want the Senate and the House of Representatives to ensure that Iran is held accountable. This is a transparent process, and they are committed.' The days and weeks following this day saw a grueling process of round-the-clock negotiations. The city of Vienna became a second home for diplomats, journalists, and observers of these negotiations. Weeks passed one after another, and negotiators emphasized that they would not limit themselves to the July 14 deadline. One day, the method of lifting sanctions became challenging, and the next day, technical aspects of Iran's nuclear program were discussed. As reports came in from behind the walls of the Coburg Hotel until the late hours, discussions such as the ban on selling weapons to Iran became contentious, until hours into the morning of July 14, an agreement was reached. The Russian foreign minister exited the Coburg and told reporters that a short break had been provided for everyone. Hours later, around noon on Tuesday, July 14, the 22-day marathon in Vienna concluded with a final meeting at the United Nations headquarters and the official announcement of reaching an agreement. Initially, the International Atomic Energy Agency announced reaching an agreement with Iran regarding the PMD file or the potentially military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program, and then the final statement of the agreement was read. Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, along with Mohammad Javad Zarif, read the final statement, emphasizing that 'this is a complex agreement, with many details and technicalities. We cannot summarize the entire agreement right now. However, the agreement and all its annexes will be published today, and the six countries will present it to the United Nations Security Council for approval in the coming days. We know this agreement will be subject to intense scrutiny, but what we are announcing today is not just an agreement; it is a good agreement. A good agreement for all parties and the international community.' The JCPOA and its annexes were published. Iran agreed to limit various aspects of its nuclear program, and the six countries committed to lifting sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program. The weeks and months following July 14 witnessed numerous ups and downs, and Iranian and American negotiators faced critics of this agreement in their respective legislative bodies for many days. John Kerry and his colleagues faced severe criticism during the review process of the agreement in the U.S. Congress, while Mohammad Javad Zarif and other members of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team spent complex days among critics in Tehran. Iranian nuclear negotiators had multiple confrontations with representatives critical of the agreement during the JCPOA review commission sessions, some of which were broadcast on Iranian television in a rare occurrence. The review process of the agreement in Iran concluded with the positive vote of the parliament and then a nine-point letter from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic regarding the JCPOA and the government's obligations in this regard, which was published on October 21. In the U.S., through a complex process and the use of political tactics by supporters of the agreement in Congress, the efforts of opponents to reject this agreement proved fruitless. Thus, Iran and the P5+1 were ready to implement the agreement. However, before implementation, they had to overcome one last obstacle. After the IAEA and Iran executed their separate agreement on July 14, which included a visit by the IAEA Director General to the Parchin facility, this obstacle was removed on December 15 during a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors. Minutes after the file related to the past of Iran's nuclear program or PMD was closed, Reza Najafi, Iran's representative to the IAEA, told reporters that PMD had 'become history.' The closure of the PMD file paved the way for Iran to fulfill its main commitments under the JCPOA, including the transfer of enriched uranium stocks abroad and the removal of the core of the Arak heavy-water reactor. The day when years of nuclear negotiations finally bore fruit was January 16, a day that, after hours of waiting and the announcement of the exchange of Iranian-American prisoners in the midst of it, became another surprising day when the IAEA confirmed Iran's nuclear actions under the JCPOA, and the implementation of the JCPOA began. On this day, international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program were also lifted. Senior negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif stated at the announcement of the implementation of the JCPOA in Vienna: 'Today, six months after the finalization of that historic agreement, the IAEA confirmed that Iran has fulfilled its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. Since Iran has fulfilled its commitments, today the national and multilateral financial and economic sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program, in accordance with the JCPOA, have been lifted.' Although 1394 marked the conclusion of one of the most sensitive diplomatic negotiations of recent decades, it also marked the beginning of Iran's nuclear cooperation with the international community. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, is a multi-year agreement that will undoubtedly encompass numerous ups and downs with each 365-day review of the commitments of both parties.