"Consultative Meeting in Geneva" to Set Guidelines for Lifting Sanctions on Iran

The state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday, November 13, that a "consultative meeting" between the European Union and the United States with Iran was held to draft the guidelines and statements related to the Vienna nuclear agreement regarding the lifting of sanctions against Iran. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, in this 9-hour meeting, which took place in Geneva, the Iranian delegation, consisting of a representative from the Central Bank and a team of legal experts from the Foreign Ministry, presented "specific proposals" for inclusion in the text of these guidelines. However, the report did not provide further details about the specifics of the meeting and the proposals made. According to the Vienna nuclear agreement, the P5+1 countries have committed to gradually suspend and, in some cases, lift economic, financial, and banking sanctions against Iran as Iran fulfills its commitments. The United States and the European Union took official steps on Sunday, October 18, related to the dismantling of sanctions if Iran adheres to its commitments outlined in the JCPOA. Under the Vienna nuclear agreement, Iran has also committed to reducing the number of centrifuges and lowering the volume and grade of uranium enrichment. However, reports about the collection of centrifuges in recent weeks have led to protests from several members of parliament. For instance, on Tuesday, November 1, 20 representatives issued a reminder to the Iranian president, calling for a halt to the collection of centrifuges at Natanz and Fordow. Meanwhile, according to the House of Representatives news agency, Hamid Baidi-Nejad, the Director General for Political and International Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, stated on Saturday that the collection of centrifuges should not become a "political issue" in the country. Mr. Baidi-Nejad announced that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has "no role" in the collection of centrifuges and that when the number of centrifuges reaches the specified amount in the Vienna nuclear agreement, the Agency will "confirm the existing number." According to Mr. Baidi-Nejad, if the centrifuges are not collected in a "timely" manner, the duration of the implementation of the Vienna agreement will need to be extended, or the Atomic Energy Organization will be forced to collect the centrifuges "without principles or at speed." He noted that the "rapid" collection and transfer of centrifuges could cause "damage" to them. In the Vienna nuclear agreement, Tehran agreed to phase out its IR-1 centrifuges in the first ten years and limit its enrichment capacity at the Natanz facility to a maximum of 5,060 IR-1 centrifuges during this period. According to published reports, Iran has about 19,000 active centrifuges. The redesign document for the Arak reactor has been "finalized." The Director General for Political and International Affairs at the Foreign Ministry of Iran also announced on Saturday that the redesign document for the Arak reactor has been "finalized" and only requires signatures. According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, Mr. Baidi-Nejad stated that if the ministers of the P5+1 and Iran are present at the sidelines of the Syria conference in Vienna, the document may be signed. He noted that the document includes a "serious commitment" from the P5+1 countries for the redesign of the Arak reactor, with each country's responsibilities being "specified and determined." He also reported that China will play a "central role" in the reconstruction of this reactor. The heavy water facility at Arak was one of the contentious issues between Iran and Western countries, but Iran agreed, under the Vienna nuclear agreement, to remove the core of the Arak reactor and fill its openings with concrete so that it could no longer be used. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, had previously stated that after signing the "official document" regarding the redesign of the Arak reactor, the "core of the Arak reactor" would be removed by order of the Iranian president. Representatives from Iran, the United States, and China issued a statement on October 18 announcing that the renovation and redesign of the Arak reactor would be carried out "under the management and leadership of Iran." Under this agreement, Iran, with the help of the United States and China, will make technical changes to its fuel production lines in Arak to match the new reactor. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in his letter to the Iranian president for the approval of the Vienna nuclear agreement, stated that action on the renovation of the Arak heavy water plant "will only begin if a definitive and reliable contract regarding the alternative plan and sufficient guarantees for its implementation is concluded."