US restores sanctions relief to Iran’s nuclear programme

The Biden administration on Friday restored some sanctions relief to Iran’s atomic program as talks aimed at salvaging the languishing 2015 nuclear deal enter a critical phase. As U.S. negotiators head back to Vienna for what could be a make-or-break session, Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed several sanctions waivers related to Iran’s civilian nuclear activities.

The move reverses the Trump administration’s decision to rescind them. The waivers are ultimately intended to entice Iran back to the 2015 deal that it has been violating since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed U.S. sanctions. In the short term, the waivers will exempt foreign countries and companies that work in Iran’s civilian nuclear sector from American penalties. \

U.S. officials said that is critical to building support for a return to the deal and denied they were granting Iran any concessions. The officials said the waivers are necessary to bring the other parties to the deal — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union — on board. “We did NOT provide sanctions relief for Iran and WILL NOT until/unless Tehran returns to its commitments under the JCPOA,” State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted, using the acronym for the official name of the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (AP)