Fabius: No Agreement Yet on Timing for Lifting Sanctions on Iran

One day after Iran's nuclear understanding with the P5+1 group, Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, stated in an interview on Friday, April 3, that the "complex issue" of the timing for lifting sanctions against Iran is "still unresolved" and no agreement has been signed on this matter. Fabius, speaking with "Radio Europe 1," added that the important issue of when sanctions against Iran will be lifted within the framework of the political agreement has not yet been clarified. Iran and the six world powers reached a political understanding on Thursday, April 2, which includes the necessary general framework to achieve a comprehensive agreement by the deadline of July 1. According to a report by AFP, the French Foreign Minister said in his interview that Iran wants the sanctions to be lifted immediately and quickly, but "we tell them that if you respect the terms of your agreement, we will reduce the pressure of sanctions, but if you do not fulfill your commitments, we can, of course, revert the situation to the initial state." According to Mr. Fabius, there has been no agreement yet on the timing of lifting or temporarily halting sanctions. Based on a joint statement released after the agreement on Thursday, which the U.S. State Department has also published details of, accepting limited uranium enrichment only at the Natanz facility with 5,060 active centrifuges (4,000 fewer than the current amount) for ten years is one of the conditions of the framework agreement. The type of active centrifuges in Iran will also be "IR-1," which is among the oldest centrifuges in Iran. Iran has promised not to use advanced centrifuges known as IR-2, 4, 5, 6, or 8 for a decade. Stopping enrichment at the Fordow site and converting it into a research center, the international redesign of the Arak heavy water reactor, transferring inactive centrifuges to storage, reducing uranium stockpiles, and of course, regular monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were also among the points agreed upon by the negotiating parties. In return, if the IAEA confirms Iran's compliance with its commitments, the UN Security Council resolutions against Iran will be lifted, and EU and U.S. sanctions will also be suspended. In this regard, John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, emphasized in his press conference on Thursday that if Tehran does not act according to the understanding, sanctions will be reimposed. In the same context, the IAEA issued an official statement on Friday welcoming the Lausanne agreement, stating that the organization is ready to "play its role" in verifying Iran's implementation of the comprehensive agreement's provisions "after the signing of the comprehensive agreement." The agency's reference is to the July 1 deadline for signing a comprehensive agreement between the Islamic Republic and the world powers. The countries of China, Russia, Britain, France, the U.S., and Germany, or the P5+1 group, are expected to soon start a new round of negotiations with Iran to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement, which is scheduled to be achieved by July 1 (June 30). The French Foreign Minister also stated in his interview on Friday that "we are on the right path, but we have not yet reached the end of the road." Meanwhile, the Lausanne political understanding has been criticized by Israel, a country that opposes any agreement that allows Iran to have a nuclear program. Benjamin Netanyahu, hours after the announcement of this understanding in a phone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama, said that this agreement "seriously endangers the existence of Israel."