Central Bank: Nuclear Negotiations Made Transfer of 13 Tons of Gold to Iran Possible

Valiollah Seif, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, stated that as a result of negotiations between Iran and world powers regarding the nuclear program, the obstacles to transferring 13 tons of gold to Iran, which had been impossible due to sanctions, have been removed and the gold has been delivered to the Central Bank's treasury. According to reports from Iranian news agencies, Mr. Seif mentioned on July 1 that the gold was held in South Africa in custody and 'due to the conditions of sanctions and some obstructions, it was not possible to transfer it to Iran.' He added that the ongoing negotiations in Vienna have resolved the issue for the transfer of this shipment, and Tehran has received it. Iran has faced international and unilateral sanctions from some countries due to pursuing parts of its nuclear program, which the West suspects are aimed at military objectives. Tehran has always emphasized that its nuclear program only seeks peaceful objectives. AFP reports that from Washington's perspective, international sanctions have blocked nearly $100 billion of the country's assets worldwide. Currently, Iranian officials and representatives of the group known as 5+1 are negotiating to draft the final document of a comprehensive nuclear agreement and a joint action plan regarding it. The deadline for these negotiations has been extended for another five days. The foreign ministers of Iran and the United States, Mohammad Javad Zarif and John Kerry, who are both currently in Vienna discussing, spoke on July 1 about progress in the negotiations and emphasized the continuation of the process.