Top Diplomats in Vienna to Announce Iran Deal Implementation
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, US Secretary of State John Kerry, and EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini are scheduled to meet in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday and will likely announce the implementation of a nuclear deal finalized back in July 2015.
The Iranian foreign minister left the Iranian capital for Vienna on Saturday morning to meet the representatives of the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France, and Germany), and - if the grounds are prepared - announce the implementation of the deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
His American counterpart Kerry is also heading to Vienna and will hold a meeting with Zarif and Mogherini on the implementation day, US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner said Friday.
In another sign implementation may be near, US President Barack Obama has reportedly delegated authority to Kerry to take steps to ease some sanctions.
Zarif and Mogherini are due to make a joint statement on the implementation of the Tehran nuclear program deal, which will terminate all anti-Iran sanctions.
The implementation hinges on a report by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verifying that Iran has fulfilled its commitments as per the nuclear deal.
A diplomatic source said on Friday that the report is likely to be issued on Saturday.
Reuters quoted UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric as saying there could be a meeting in relation to Iran on Saturday in Vienna, where the July 14 deal was reached, but did not elaborate.
"There may be some sort of a meeting tomorrow in Vienna, after which, if everything goes well, we will issue a statement from the Secretary-General," he told reporters.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi predicted that implementation of a July nuclear deal between Tehran and the Sextet would start by Saturday, after the UN nuclear agency releases its final report.
“The (International Atomic Energy) Agency’s inspectors are supposed to issue their final report on Iran’s honoring of commitments until Friday. I believe the parties will perform their undertakings by Friday and Saturday and (then) the implementation day would be announced,” Araqchi said at the time.
Iran and the Group 5+1 (also known as E3+3 and P5+1) on July 14, 2015, reached a conclusion on a 159-page nuclear agreement that would terminate all sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear energy program after coming into force.
Afterwards, the 15-memebr United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that endorsed the JCPOA.
According to the UNSC Resolution 2231, all previous UNSC sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program will be terminated when the JCPOA takes effect.