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Joint Plan of Action

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P5+1 and Iranian negotiators meet along with E.U. High Representative Catherine Ashton in Geneva
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On 24 November 2013, an interim agreement was signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in Geneva, Switzerland. It consists of a short-term freeze of portions of Iran's nuclear program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions on Iran, as the countries work towards a long-term agreement.[1] It represents the first formal agreement between the U.S. and Iran in 34 years.[2]

Background

Main article: Nuclear program of Iran

The nuclear program of Iran has been a matter of contention with the international community since 2002, when an Iranian dissident group revealed the existence of two undeclared nuclear facilities.[3]

The International Atomic Energy Agency, charged with monitoring and ensuring peaceful nuclear activities, referred the matter of Iran's nuclear program to the UN Security Council in February 2006, after finding that Iran had not been in compliance with its duties as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).[4] For what the IAEA judged to be continued non-compliance, the UN Security Council has voted four times since 2006 to impose limited economic sanctions against Iran.[5] In addition, the United States and European Union have voluntarily imposed additional sanctions against Iran, targeting its natural resource exports (particularly oil and natural gas), petrochemical, aerospace and automotive industries, banking system, and access to international finance.

Iran held a presidential election in June 2013 that was won by Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist who emphasized the need for Iran to reach a diplomatic accord with the international community over its nuclear program and reverse Iran's international isolation.[6]

In addition, the Associated Press reported in November 2013 that officials in the Obama administration had been in contact secretly with Iranian officials throughout 2013 about the feasibility of an agreement over the Iranian atomic program. The report said that American and Iranian officials met face-to-face five times in Oman.[7] Obama informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of these talks when Netanyahu visited the White House on 30 September 2013.[8]

Negotiations

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry takes notes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at the Geneva negotiations.
Main article: P5+1

Previous talks between Iran and the P5+1, chaired by European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton,[9] were held in the Kazakh city of Almaty on 26–27 February 2013 and 5–6 April, in the Turkish city of Istanbul on 17–18 March,[10] and in Geneva on 7–8 November—all without agreement.[11] The sides agreed to meet again on 20 November.[12]

The 20 November negotiations were attended at the foreign minister level by the participant countries.[13]

The talks opened with a short introduction from Lady Ashton and the leader of the Iranian delegation, foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, before the sides began bilateral discussions.[14]

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, were present for the Geneva talks but were not announced. They stayed at a separate hotel and entered through service doors. Burns and Sullivan were key members of the back channel that President Obama sent to Oman to meet with Iranian officials.[15] Burns was reported to be "in the driver's seat" of the American negotiating team, even though it was officially being led by Kerry and Wendy Sherman. Burns had met secretly with Iranian officials as far back as 2008, when then-President George W. Bush dispatched him.[16]

Agreement provisions

The interim Geneva Accord was signed between P5+1 countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran on 24 November 2013.[1] The deal consists of the short-term freezing of key parts of the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for a decrease in sanctions, as both sides work towards a long-term agreement. Iran will stop enriching uranium beyond 5%, and will stop development of their Arak nuclear power plant. The UN will be granted greater access for inspections. In exchange, Iran will receive relief from sanctions of approximately US$7 billion (£4.3 billion) and no additional sanctions will be imposed.[17][18] President Obama called the agreement an "important first step."[19]

The agreement sets a six-month time frame for Iran to dilute its uranium that is enriched to 20%, and for a more comprehensive follow-up agreement between Iran and the P5+1 negotiators to formalize Iran's nuclear relationship with the world.[20]

The terms do not bar Iran from manufacturing components for their nuclear facilities off-site, as long as none of those components are installed. One western diplomat said the impact of this "loophole" would be very minor and could serve as a test of Iranian intentions.[21]

"Right to enrich"

The NPT recognizes the right of all nations to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, but does not specifically mention whether nations have the right to enrich uranium.[22] Uranium enrichment is necessary for producing nuclear energy and for use in research reactors, which produce medical isotopes to treat cancer, but it is also a possible means of creating fissile material for a nuclear weapon. Iran has a nuclear power plant at Bushehr, and a nuclear research reactor.[23]

Iran's interpretation of the NPT is that enrichment is a guaranteed right. Negotiations were at a standstill for a period, as Western countries did not want to explicitly endorse this interpretation, but Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei insisted that the right to enrich was a "red line" for the Iranian side.[24] The negotiators were forced to find compromise language to resolve the impasse.[25]

After the agreement was concluded, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that the pact ensures Iran's right to enrich.[26] Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov also stated that the agreement recognized Iran's right to enrichment, so long as the program is under IAEA control.[27] Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman agreed with this assessment of the language in the agreement, although he was displeased by it.[28]

By contrast, Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the American negotiation team, disputed that the agreement guaranteed a "right to enrich."[29]

According to Iran expert Ray Takeyh the agreement showed that uranium enrichment is "respected in practice but not acknowledged just yet."[30]

The agreement does not provide a clear answer about whether or not Iran has a right to enrich uranium. It does not contain any variant of the phrase "right to enrich uranium", but it recognizes Iran's "right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes". The agreement also allows Iran to continue some enrichment activities.[31]

International reception

Arab nations Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the Palestinian Authority have come out in favor of the temporary agreement.[32] Lebanon also hailed the agreement, while emphasizing that Israel should also sign the NPT and rid itself of its nuclear weapons arsenal.[33] Turkey, India and Pakistan have also welcomed the framework agreement.[34][35][36] In a reference to Israel's arsenal of nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia and Qatar both advocated a comprehensive solution to Iran's nuclear issue which would leave the entire Middle East free of nuclear weapons.[37]

Reaction from Israeli government politicians was negative. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the accord a "historic mistake," and intelligence minister Yuval Steinitz compared it to failed nuclear negotiations with North Korea.[28] Considering the way Washington handled the deal with Iran The Jerusalem Post questioned whether Netanyahu would "place Israel's security in the hands of US guarantees".[38] Leader of the opposition Isaac Herzog criticized Netanyahu's reaction as bad for Israel's relations with the United States, although Herzog also said that Obama was partly to blame for not communicating more closely with Israel.[39]

Al Jazeera argued that Saudi Arabia, a regional rival of Iran, welcomed the agreement. The Saudi cabinet released a statement which read, in part: "The government of the kingdom sees that if there was goodwill, this agreement could represent a preliminary step towards a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear program" and could eventually lead "to the removal of weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons, from the Middle East and the Arab Gulf region".[40] The Daily Telegraph reported that Nawaf Obaid, a senior advisor to the Saudi royal family, criticized the way the deal was achieved: "We were lied to, things were hidden from us".[41]

Reaction from the U.S. Congress was mixed. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Peter King were sharply critical of the agreement. Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Adam Smith were more positive. Speaker John Boehner and Democrat Eliot Engel were cautious.[42] Reactions from Canada were "skeptical", with Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird saying Iran "has not earned the right to have the benefit of the doubt."[43]

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon hailed the interim agreement as the potential "beginnings of a historic agreement."[20]

Hezbollah published a declaration and stated this is a triumph for Iran.[44]

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee reacted skeptically to the agreement and urged preparation of sanctions legislation in Congress in case it failed, but fell short of calling for new sanctions immediately.[45] The Simon Wiesenthal Center has sent a letter to all 535 members of the U.S. Congress expressing deep concern over the decision to allow Iran to enrich uranium.[46]

(L-R) British Foreign Secretary William Hague, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle, EU High Commissioner Catherine Ashton, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius at a news conference at the conclusion of the negotiations.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Anne Gearan and Joby Warrick (23 November 2013). "World powers reach nuclear deal with Iran to freeze its nuclear program". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  2. ^ Blair, David (24 November 2013). "Iran nuclear deal agreed at Geneva talks". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  3. ^ Lewis, Jeffrey (28 October 2006). "NCRI Did Not Discover Natanz". ArmsControlWonk. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  4. ^ "Iran reported to Security Council". BBC Online. 4 February 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Sanctions against Iran". Government of Canada. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  6. ^ "Iran's president-elect calls his election victory a mandate for change". Guardian. 29 June 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  7. ^ "Report claims secret US-Iran talks laid groundwork for nuclear deal". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  8. ^ Klapper, Bradley (25 November 2013). "Obama advised Netanyahu of secret Iran talks in September". The Times of Israel. Associated Press. Retrieved 25 November 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Laurence Norman and Jay Solomon (9 November 2013). "Iran Nuclear Talks End Without Deal". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  10. ^ "Positive Iran-P5+1 talks in Almaty, Israel's total defeat: Report". Presstv.ir. 11 March 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  11. ^ James Reynolds (16 October 2013). "Iran nuclear checks most detailed ever - Ashton". BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  12. ^ Good, Chris (9 November 2013). "No Deal: Iran Nuclear Talks Sputter in Geneva". ABC News. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  13. ^ Borger, Julian (22 November 2013). "John Kerry and William Hague fly to Geneva to try to seal Iran nuclear deal". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "New Round Of Iran Nuclear Talks Opens In Geneva". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  15. ^ "A timeline of key events in US-Iran negotiations". Yahoo News. Associated Press. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  16. ^ Taylor, Guy (24 November 2013). "Career diplomat William Burns steered the Iran talks quietly though rounds of negotiations". The Washington Times. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  17. ^ Iran agrees to curb nuclear activity at Geneva talks
  18. ^ Anne Gearan and Joby Warrick (24 November 2013). "Iran, world powers reach historic nuclear deal with Iran". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  19. ^ "Obama declares Iran deal 'important first step'". Boston Herald. Associated Press. 23 November 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  20. ^ a b Sturdee, Simon (25 November 2013). "Iran nuke deal launches six-month diplomatic battle". Yahoo News. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 25 November 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "Iran nuclear deal 'loophole' may allow off-site reactor work". The Jerusalem Post. Reuters. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  22. ^ Dahl, Fredrik (24 November 2013). "Q&A: Is there a 'right' to enrich uranium? Iran says yes, U.S. no". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  23. ^ "Uranium enrichment at heart of Iran nuclear deal". Washington Post. 24 November 2013.
  24. ^ Pfeffer, Anshel (22 November 2013). "Nuclear talks hit standstill as Iran demands right to enrich uranium, sanctions relief". Haaretz. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  25. ^ Charbonneau, Louis. "Compromise floated on enrichment issue in Iran nuclear talks -envoys". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  26. ^ "Iran enrichment right recognized in deal: Zarif". Press TV. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  27. ^ "Lavrov: Win-win Iran deal only became possible after Rouhani came to power". Russia Today. 24 November 2013.
  28. ^ a b Booth, William (24 November 2013). "Israel's Netanyahu calls Iran deal 'historic mistake'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  29. ^ Blake, Aaron (24 November 2013). "Kerry on Iran: 'We do not recognize a right to enrich'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  30. ^ Landler, Mark (25 November 2013). "Kerry Defends Nuclear Pact With Iran". New York Times. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  31. ^ Elias Groll. "Did the United States Just Grant Iran the Right to Enrich Uranium?".
  32. ^ El Gamal, Rania (25 November 2013). "Qatar, Kuwait welcome Iran's nuclear deal with world powers". Reuters. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  33. ^ "Lebanon hails agreement on Iranian n-programme". Business Standard. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  34. ^ Gul, Abdullah (25 November 2013). "Turkey welcomes Iran nuclear agreement". Trend News Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  35. ^ "India welcomes breakthrough in Iran's nuclear row". The Times of India. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  36. ^ "Pakistan welcomes interim agreement on Iran nuclear issue". Xinhuanet. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  37. ^ "Iran deal a 1st step: KSA". Saudi Gazette. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  38. ^ Herb Keinon (25 November 2013). "Iran deal: Same world, opposite risk assessments". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  39. ^ "New Labor leader Herzog criticizes Netanyahu and government over Iran deal". The Jerusalem Post. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  40. ^ "Saudi Arabia welcomes Iran nuclear agreement". AlJazeera. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  41. ^ McElroy, Damien (25 November 2013). "Iran nuclear deal: Saudi Arabia warns it will strike out on its own". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  42. ^ O'Keeffe, Ed (24 November 2013). "Congress members react to the Iran nuclear deal". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  43. ^ "Canada "deeply skeptical" of international community's nuclear deal with Iran". Associated Press via Fox News. 24 November 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  44. ^ حزب الله: اتفاق ايران النووي،انتصار نموذجي وإنجاز عالمي نوعي Al-Alam
  45. ^ Guttman, Nathan (26 November 2013). "AIPAC Slams Iran Nuclear Deal — Calls for Tougher Future Stance". Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  46. ^ "SWC Urges Congress to Act Over Troubling and Dangerous Iranian Deal". November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
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