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| Iran sanctions to be eased as US and west work out full Geneva deal | Iran sanctions to be eased as US and west work out full Geneva deal |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The west is likely to start easing crippling sanctions on Iran in the new year, following the breakthrough agreement in Geneva to freeze and reverse Iran's nuclear programme. | The west is likely to start easing crippling sanctions on Iran in the new year, following the breakthrough agreement in Geneva to freeze and reverse Iran's nuclear programme. |
| The six powers – the US, three European countries, Russia, and China under the mediation of the EU's Lady Ashton - also hope to strike a final "comprehensive" settlement of the Iranian nuclear dispute within six months, western sources said. "The focus for the coming weeks has to be swift implementation," said a senior western diplomat. | |
| The accord reached in Geneva represents a first phase, lasting six months, and is to see $7bn (£4.3bn) in frozen oil sales assets returned to Tehran in instalments, cailbrated to Iran's observance of the terms of the agreement. Western sources insist the deal has been structured to ensure that the sanctions relief can be reversed if Tehran is found to be reneging on any parts of the agreement. | The accord reached in Geneva represents a first phase, lasting six months, and is to see $7bn (£4.3bn) in frozen oil sales assets returned to Tehran in instalments, cailbrated to Iran's observance of the terms of the agreement. Western sources insist the deal has been structured to ensure that the sanctions relief can be reversed if Tehran is found to be reneging on any parts of the agreement. |
| France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, on Monday said that EU ministers will discuss lifting partial sanctions agianst Tehran as early as inDecember. In a radio interview, Fabius said that a "Europe-wide" decision was necessary for easing some of the punitive measures that the EU has imposed on Tehran over its nuclear programme. | |
| "[That meeting] is expected in several weeks, for a partial lifting that is limited, targeted and reversible," he told Europe 1. | |
| The breakthrough, being described as a "win-win situation" for the west, Iran, and the wider Middle Eastern region, is to be followed by a flurry of diplomacy. One strand of EU diplomacy will be to try to reassure Iran's regional rivals, enemies, and sceptics, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, of the value of an agreement that for the first time in a decade has Tehran agreeing to roll back its nuclear projects under intrusive daily inspection by United Nations monitors. | The breakthrough, being described as a "win-win situation" for the west, Iran, and the wider Middle Eastern region, is to be followed by a flurry of diplomacy. One strand of EU diplomacy will be to try to reassure Iran's regional rivals, enemies, and sceptics, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, of the value of an agreement that for the first time in a decade has Tehran agreeing to roll back its nuclear projects under intrusive daily inspection by United Nations monitors. |
| European and International Atomic Energy Agency experts are to confer this week on how to verify implementation of the accord in Iran. Efforts will also be made to bolster Iranian reformists under President Rouhani to try to reinforce his flanks against a conservative backlash in Iran. | European and International Atomic Energy Agency experts are to confer this week on how to verify implementation of the accord in Iran. Efforts will also be made to bolster Iranian reformists under President Rouhani to try to reinforce his flanks against a conservative backlash in Iran. |
| "The [Iranian] government can show they are really delivering on their promise to improve relations with the west," said the senior diplomat. "I hope it will change Iran's relations, particularly with the west, for the better. This will hopefully recreate more confidence and trust. I know that for countries in the region, there are other issues that are very important, that is Iran's regional role." | "The [Iranian] government can show they are really delivering on their promise to improve relations with the west," said the senior diplomat. "I hope it will change Iran's relations, particularly with the west, for the better. This will hopefully recreate more confidence and trust. I know that for countries in the region, there are other issues that are very important, that is Iran's regional role." |
| Washington and the Europeans also want to press ahead with further negotiations with the Iranians with a view to sealing a final settlement within six months. At some stage, say sources, the new negotiations will have to tackle suspected military aspects of the nuclear programme that go back years and have never been clarified, concerning Parchin, for example. | Washington and the Europeans also want to press ahead with further negotiations with the Iranians with a view to sealing a final settlement within six months. At some stage, say sources, the new negotiations will have to tackle suspected military aspects of the nuclear programme that go back years and have never been clarified, concerning Parchin, for example. |
| Iranian enrichment capacity and stockpiles of enriched uranium were proceeding at such a pace that Tehran could have been on the brink of a nuclear weapon by next year. | Iranian enrichment capacity and stockpiles of enriched uranium were proceeding at such a pace that Tehran could have been on the brink of a nuclear weapon by next year. |
| "It is a first important step," said the senior diplomat of the weekend agreement. "If we had not been able to agree that step and the Iranian programme had progressed the way it has been progressing in the last months, this would have significantly increased the break-out capability." | "It is a first important step," said the senior diplomat of the weekend agreement. "If we had not been able to agree that step and the Iranian programme had progressed the way it has been progressing in the last months, this would have significantly increased the break-out capability." |
| Fabius assured Israel that Paris would be protecting its security in the Middle East but said he did not think Tel Aviv would seek military action agianst the Islamic republic despite opposing the Geneva deal because if it did, "no one would understand it". Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has called the Geneva agreement as an "historic mistake". | |
| On Monday, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague, giving an update on the Geneva talks to parliament, warned: "We would discourage anybody in the world, including Israel, from taking any steps that would undermine this agreement and we will make that very clear to all concerned." | |
| He told MPs: "The fact we have achieved for the first time in nearly a decade an agreement that halts and rolls back Iran's nuclear programme should give us heart this work can be done and that a comprehensive agreement can be attained." | |
| Iran's negotiating team, led by its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, returned home on Sunday night from Switzerland to a hero's welcome in Tehran's Mehrabad airport. Jubilant supporfters of Hassan Rouhani's administration rushed to the airport to greet their foreign minister whose popularity has significantly surged since striking the deal which people hope would eventually end years of financial stringency due to sanctions. | Iran's negotiating team, led by its foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, returned home on Sunday night from Switzerland to a hero's welcome in Tehran's Mehrabad airport. Jubilant supporfters of Hassan Rouhani's administration rushed to the airport to greet their foreign minister whose popularity has significantly surged since striking the deal which people hope would eventually end years of financial stringency due to sanctions. |
| Upon arriving in Tehran, Zarif updated his Facebook page, which has been "liked" by 700,000 people, apologising to his supporters that bodyguards did not allow him to spend time with them at the aiport. | Upon arriving in Tehran, Zarif updated his Facebook page, which has been "liked" by 700,000 people, apologising to his supporters that bodyguards did not allow him to spend time with them at the aiport. |
| "It is 10:45pm Sunday night. Just arrived at home. Before posting a report drafted in airplane, I would like to thank all present in airport for welcoming us," he wrote. "I am very sorry that our guardsmen wouldn't let me get out of the automobile." | "It is 10:45pm Sunday night. Just arrived at home. Before posting a report drafted in airplane, I would like to thank all present in airport for welcoming us," he wrote. "I am very sorry that our guardsmen wouldn't let me get out of the automobile." |
| In his Facebook post, Zarif talked about the tensions behind the smiles and laughs shown on camera worldwide and said: "The art of a diplomat is to conceal all the turbulences behind his smile." | In his Facebook post, Zarif talked about the tensions behind the smiles and laughs shown on camera worldwide and said: "The art of a diplomat is to conceal all the turbulences behind his smile." |
| In his Facebook post, Zarif called on his critics in Iran to be fair and consider Iran's national interests."You should be alert that Zionists and other warmongers are all extremely on edge and they would spare no pretext and device to bring a deal – dubbed a deal of the century for Iran – to nothing," he wrote. | In his Facebook post, Zarif called on his critics in Iran to be fair and consider Iran's national interests."You should be alert that Zionists and other warmongers are all extremely on edge and they would spare no pretext and device to bring a deal – dubbed a deal of the century for Iran – to nothing," he wrote. |
| Zarif's smiling face dominated Monday's front pages in Tehran, with two refomrist newspapers, Etemaad and Shargh, publishing the picture of the Iranian foreign minister shaking hands with his American counterpart, John Kerry. Although both diplomats had met priviously in the course of the past two month, it was the first time in Geneva that cameras could actually shoot the historic picture of the representatives of two adverserial powers shaking hands. | Zarif's smiling face dominated Monday's front pages in Tehran, with two refomrist newspapers, Etemaad and Shargh, publishing the picture of the Iranian foreign minister shaking hands with his American counterpart, John Kerry. Although both diplomats had met priviously in the course of the past two month, it was the first time in Geneva that cameras could actually shoot the historic picture of the representatives of two adverserial powers shaking hands. |
| Conservative newspapers also ran headlines suppportive of Zarif's diplomacy. Kayhan, a hardline newspaper whose director is appointed directly by Khamenei, was the only Iranian publication with a pessimistic view of the deal. "The US is not to be trusted," read Kayhan's deadline, which was critical of Kerry's dismissal that the nuclear agreement explicitly acknowleged Iran's right to enrich uranium. | Conservative newspapers also ran headlines suppportive of Zarif's diplomacy. Kayhan, a hardline newspaper whose director is appointed directly by Khamenei, was the only Iranian publication with a pessimistic view of the deal. "The US is not to be trusted," read Kayhan's deadline, which was critical of Kerry's dismissal that the nuclear agreement explicitly acknowleged Iran's right to enrich uranium. |
| Sadeq Zibakalam, a prominent analyst at Tehran University, predicted the Geneva deal will open the political atmosphere at home and lead to the release of more political prisoners. "Geneva showed that people in Iran are tired of radicalism," he told Deutsche Welle's Persian service. "We will see more newspapers in stands, less censorship by the cultural ministry and release of more political prisoners." | Sadeq Zibakalam, a prominent analyst at Tehran University, predicted the Geneva deal will open the political atmosphere at home and lead to the release of more political prisoners. "Geneva showed that people in Iran are tired of radicalism," he told Deutsche Welle's Persian service. "We will see more newspapers in stands, less censorship by the cultural ministry and release of more political prisoners." |
| Zibakalam also said he thought the house arrest of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mousavi's wife, Zahra Rahnavard, would also be lifted in the coming months as the result of the agreement struck in Geneva. | Zibakalam also said he thought the house arrest of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi and Mousavi's wife, Zahra Rahnavard, would also be lifted in the coming months as the result of the agreement struck in Geneva. |
| Iran's currency market reacted positively to news of the nuclear accord, with the Iranian rial steadily recovering its value against the US dollar. | Iran's currency market reacted positively to news of the nuclear accord, with the Iranian rial steadily recovering its value against the US dollar. |
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