A waiver by the United States for Iran's nuclear civilian nuclear program would be necessary to ensure Iran's prompt compliance.
WASHINGTON: The US State Department is waiving sanctions on Iran's civilian nuclear program in a technical step needed to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, a senior official said Friday.
A State Department official said the resumption of the waiver, terminated by the Donald Trump administration in 2020, "will be necessary to ensure Iran's prompt compliance" if a new agreement on controlling Tehran's nuclear program can be negotiated in Vienna. So, the State Department official said.
The exemption allows other countries and companies to participate in Iran's civilian nuclear program without triggering US sanctions on them in the name of promoting security and non-proliferation.
The civilian program includes Iran's growing reserves of enriched uranium.
"In the absence of this restriction exemption, detailed technical discussions with third parties regarding the disposal of reserves and other activities of non-proliferation value cannot take place," the official said, insisting anonymity.
The move came as talks to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which then-President Trump unilaterally withdrew in 2018, were at an advanced stage.
Joe Biden moved quickly to return to the deal after becoming president a year ago, but in the meantime Iran has moved closer to producing enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.
The Vienna talks, which involve Iran, the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, are at a critical stage where the parties have to make "important political decisions", a senior US official said last week.
"Facilitated technical discussions are essential in the final weeks of the JCPOA talks," a State Department official said on Friday.
- No 'quid pro quo' -
The US official insisted the move was not "part of a byproduct", as participants in the JCPOA talks await Iran's response on key issues.
State Department spokesman Ned Price insisted the US move was a sanctions waiver for the civilian nuclear program and not broad sanctions relief.
Price wrote on Twitter: "We will not and will not provide sanctions relief for Iran until Tehran returns to its commitments under the JCPOA. We did exactly what the previous administration did: increasing nuclear non-proliferation and allow our international partners to address the security risks in Iran."
But if no final agreement is reached, the department official said, the waiver is important to discuss the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, which is in the interest of the whole world.
But senior administrative officials, who briefed reporters about the talks last week, said time was running out, and urged Tehran to make important decisions.
"I think we are at the point where some of the most important political decisions have to be made by all parties," the official said.
Officials proposed direct talks between Washington and Tehran to focus on the most difficult issues separating the sides.
"If our goal is to reach an agreement quickly... in any negotiation the best way to do that is for the parties that have the highest stake to meet directly," the official said.
In late January, Iran said for the first time that it was open to the idea of direct talks with the United States, but has not since stated where it stands.
Experts say the JCPOA talks could resume next week after stalling a week ago.
Atlantic Council Iran expert Barbara Slavin said the resumption of the waiver was a positive step.
"It is a necessary condition for the JCPOA to be reinstated and thus a good sign that it can be met," he told AFP.
"These sanctions were the most foolish and most regressive" of the previous administration, he said.