Iran Begins Dismantling 10,000 Centrifuges

Amid Growing Tensions in Iran over JCPOA and its Aftermath

The director of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, said today in Tehran that the country has begun dismantling some 10,000 centrifuges in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. The nuclear agreement, JCPOA, requires Iran to dismantle most of its 19,000 centrifuges.

Salehi said some members of Iranian Majlis were concerned by the speed of process. But he added the quicker the centrifuges were disassembled the sooner sanctions will be lifted.

Meantime, tensions between the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, and the hardliners over the JCPOA and its aftermath are growing. Some hardliners opposed the accord as a submission to foreign powers, especially the United States. Many hardliners believe that Rouhani wants to parlay the nuclear accord into the start of new relations with the U.S. and an eventual normalization of relations between the two countries, a prospect strongly opposed by the hardliners who remain America’s bitter enemies.

The political struggle post-JCPOA has produced anti-U.S. rhetoric and a surge in arrests of the moderates, including journalists, by the IRGC Intelligence Organization, run by the hardliner Hossein Taeb, who reports directly to the supreme leader. The tensions between the moderates and hardliners are expected to grow even further as we approach the all-important elections for the Majlis and the Assembly of Experts, scheduled for late February.

Khamenei Approves JCPOA

Cautions against Sanctions; Attacks Obama for Regime Change Policy

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today gave his final approval to the JCPOA, the nuclear deal with world powers. In a letter to President Rouhani, announcing his approval of JCPOA, Khamenei cautioned against the “ambiguities and structural frailties” of the agreement that “can bring huge damages” to Iran. He also harshly attacks President Obama for “lies” about not being after regime change in Tehran and the U.S. behavior at nuclear negotiations for advancing “hostile policies” against the Islamic Republic. (@khamenei_ir/Twitter, 21 October)

In the letter, Khamenei demands that President Obama and the EU issue written orders for complete removal of all sanctions against Iran. He adds that “throughout the 8-year term of JCPOA, imposition of any sanctions at any level and under any pretext (including repetitive and fabricated excuses like terrorism and human rights) from any of the negotiating countries, will be considered as the violation of JCPOA, Iranian government is obliged to take necessary measures and cease implementation of the JCPOA.” 

The latter could be problematic for the implementation of the agreement, as the JCPOA does not deal with issues of human rights and terrorism in Iran. It specifically lifts only the nuclear-related sanctions imposed by the UN, the U.S. and EU against the country. In facts signatories like the U.S. maintain non-nuclear sanctions that predate the ones imposed against the Iranian nuclear program.

Khamenei reiterates that the reconfiguration of Arak (IR-40) heavy water reactor and shipping out the country’s current stockpile of higher-enriched uranium could only begin after the IAEA certifies that the Iranian nuclear program never had any possible military dimensions (PMD). IAEA is to file its final report on PMD on 15 December. Based on the agreement, if IAEA does not clear Iran on PMD issue, the JCPOA could not be implemented anyway.

In his letter, Khamenei harshly attacked the United States and President Obama. He said Obama’s claims in his two letters to him that he was not after regime change in Iran “proved as a lie.” Khamenei did not explain what actions Obama has taken that could be seen as attempts to overthrow the Islamic Republic. He also attacked the U.S. behavior during the nuclear negotiations that led to JCPOA, saying “U.S. deceptive involvement in nuclear talks has been intended to advance their hostile policies towards Iran.” He did not explain what those hostile policies were and why did he approve an agreement that had hostilities toward Iran at its root.

JCPOA Joint Commission

Iranian and EU delegates pictured at the first meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission, which oversees the implementation of the nuclear treaty. Iran and world powers are members of the commission. (Photo: IranPulse)

Adoption Day: Iran Nuclear Deal Goes into Effect

Today the JCPOA, the landmark nuclear accord placing limits on Iran’s nuclear work in exchange for lifting of sanctions against the country, today goes into effect. Below is a timeline on how we got to this date and what is expected next.

14 July: Iran and world powers signed the JCPOA in Vienna.
IAEA and Iran agreed on necessary arrangements to implement transparency measures of the accord.

20 July: UN Security Council unanimously issued UNSCR 2231 endorsing the JCPOA. The resolution set out conditions for removal of previous Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against Iran and closure of the Iranian nuclear file at the Security Council.

15 August – 15 October: Iran and IAEA completed discussions on possible military dimensions (PMD) to the Iranian nuclear program. Iran provided explanations, documents and samples to IAEA regarding the remaining PMD issues. IAEA confirmed Iranian compliance.

18 September: U.S. Congress review period of JCPOA ended without any resolution of disapproval passed; making the U.S. the first among the P5+1 and Iran to adopt the agreement. EU has also adopted JCPOA.

13 October: Iranian parliament, Majlis, approved the JCPOA; on 14 October, Iran’s Guardian Council ratified the bill passed by Majlis, making JCPOA the law of the country.

Sunday 18 October: Adoption Day
JCPOA comes into effect. All sides begin to implement provisions of the deal.

• Iran informs IAEA it will provisionally implement the Additional Protocol (AP) and Modified Code 3.1, and begins implementing PMD roadmap. 
• The U.S. prepares to cease application of nuclear-related sanctions.
• EU adopts regulations to terminate nuclear-related sanctions.
• JCPOA participants begin work on redesign of Arak (IR-40) heavy water reactor.

And what's next?

15 December: IAEA provides final assessment of the resolution of PMD issues.

Implementation Day: Contingent on IAEA Verification

• Prior to Implementation Day, Iran will have to be in compliance with the provisions of JCPOA, as verified by IAEA. 
• Dismantling of Arak (IR-40) heavy water reactor in its present configuration; reducing the number of centrifuges in Natanz to 5,060 IR-1; removing IR-2M and IR-4 centrifuges; removing all nuclear materials from Fordo; reducing 3.5-enriched uranium stockpile to 300 kg; diluting all higher-grade enriched uranium stockpile; and implementing AP and modified code 3.1. 
• UNSC terminates all previous resolutions on Iran and the new UNSCR 2231 goes into effect, maintaining specific restrictions on arms imports and export and the country’s ballistic missiles. 
• The United States suspends the so-called secondary sanctions on non-U.S. persons related to nuclear issue affecting oil and banking sectors; lifts civilian aviation-related sanctions and ends restrictions on imports of food and rugs from Iran. 
• EU lifts virtually all nuclear-related sanctions.
• Sanctions could be re-imposed (“snap back”) if Iran fails to comply with its commitments, as verified by IAEA.
• IAEA will verify Iran’s compliance with JCPOA listed measures and will provide regular updates on the JCPOA to its Board of Governors and the UNSC.

Adoption Day + 5 Years: Arms import and export restrictions lifted by UNSC.

Transition Day: Adoption Day + 8 Years

• Iran ratifies the Additional Protocol.
• UNSC restrictions on ballistic missiles are lifted
• U.S. seeks legislative termination of sanctions suspended on Implementation Day.
• EU terminates all remaining nuclear-related sanctions

Termination Day: Adoption Day + 10 Years

• UNSCR 2231 is terminated and UNSC officially closes Iran’s nuclear file.

Post-Termination: Adoption + 15 or more Years

• Continued IAEA enhanced monitoring for 15 years
• IAEA monitoring for uranium ore concentrate for 25 years

JCPOA Becomes Law

Iran’s Guardian Council today ratified the bill passed by Majlis, the Iranian parliament, on the nuclear deal with the six world powers, making JCPOA the law of the country.

Majlis Approves Implementaion of Nuclear Deal

The Iranian parliament, Majlis, today gave its final approval to JCPOA, the nuclear deal with the world powers. With 161 in favor, 56 against and 13 abstentions, the Majlis passed a bill allowing the Iranian government to implement JCPOA.

46 MPs boycotted today's Majlis session and 11 MPs present did not vote. So the total number of MPs voting against, or not voting, or boycotting the session was 116, corresponding to 100 MPs voting against the general outline of JCPOA on Sunday.

Photo: Majlis MP Hamis Rasaie holding up a sign during the voting that reads, “This is a blatant violation of law. Majlis is not a rubber stamp.” (Tasnim)

Majlis Approves General Outline of JCPOA

Leader of Hardliners Threatens to Kill and Execute Zarif and Salehi 

 

Majlis, the Iranian Parliament, on Sunday approved the “general outline” of the nuclear deal with the world power, the JCPOA, by a vote of 139 to 100, with 12 abstention.

The details of JCPOA now will be considered in the next few days. The Majlis bill dealing with the specifics of JCPOA, entitled “Proportional Measures Toward Implementation,” contains sharp criticism of some key elements of the accord.

The Majlis could refer the bill, along with a long list of its concerns over the specific provisions in the agreement, to the country's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for consideration and final approval. 

The Majlis today was also the scene of the most heated debate in years with some MPs behaving in questionable manner, at times bordering criminal. The leader of the Resistance Front, the parliament’s hardline faction, threatened the country’s foreign minister and chief of Atomic Energy Organization to death. This is how Kamaloldin Pir-Moazen, the MP from Ardabil, described the scene:

“Today the Resistance Front MPs and opponents of Rouhani administration did all they could do (to stop the nuclear agreement bill). They threatened (Atomic Energy chief) Salehi to death and threatened to have (Foreign Minister) Zarif executed.” Pir-Moazen added that Hojatoleslam Ruhollah Hosseinian, leader of the Resistance Front, told Salehi: “We will execute you, bury you inside Arak reactor, and pour cement over you.” (IRNA, 11 October)

To read the account by Iran’s official news agency IRNA, in Farsi, please click here.

Top photo: Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Salehi under attack by the hardliners in Majlis; Tehran, 11 October 2015 (IRNA)

Bottom photo: Hojatoleslam Ruhollah Hoseinian (in cleric dress) threatening to kill AEOI chief Salehi (at the podium) and pour cement over his body; Majlis, 11 October 2015 (ISNA)

Iran Announces London Oil Conference in February

Iran announced today that it will hold an oil and gas conference on 22-24 February in London to attract major international oil companies to invest in Iranian oil and gas projects post sanctions. Iran also said it will publish the terms of post-sanctions oil contracts at a conference in Tehran on 21-22 November. The new terms are said to remove obstacles for oil majors to invest in Iran.

Khamenei Warns Against More U.S.-Iran Talks

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today warned against further negotiations with the United States. Such talks are “forbidden,” Khamenei told an audience of IRGC commanders in Tehran.

“An important part of the activities of the enemy is to change the calculations of officials and to manipulate people’s revolutionary and religious thoughts,” Khamenei said. “Young people are the main target, and they must be alert.” (The New York Times, 7 October)

Khamenei said that “careless or some simple-minded people who do not understand the facts” are the cause of Iran’s “problems.” In his coded language and in what was probably intended as a threat against his domestic opponents, Khamenei added, “And the enemy helps those people” (presumably those advocating relations with the United States).   

On the nuclear agreement, Khamenei said the opposing parties (the West) had made “damaging moves against Iran’s national interests” in the talks. He did not elaborate, nor did he say that his veiled criticism of Iranian negotiating team meant he was now against the deal. As Times’ Thomas Erdbrink reports from Tehran, Khamenei is widely seen as the final arbitrator of the nuclear agreement.

File photo: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (AP)

Iran Parliament Begins Formal Consideration of JCPOA

After Receiving Highly Critical Report by Special Commission

Majlis, the Iranian parliament, on Sunday formally began consideration of the nuclear agreement with major world powers after the much-anticipated report by its Special Commission on JCPOA, entitled “Islamic Republic Government’s Reciprocal and Proportional Action in Implementing the Agreement,” was presented to the full house.

The 20-page report is heavily critical of many aspects of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including provisions related to defense, sanctions relief and the future of enrichment activities. The Majlis will now send the report probably back to the same commission to produce a bill for consideration. 

The bill coming out of the commission could propose a yes or no vote on JCPOA by the full Majlis. Or alternatively the Majlis could send today's report drafted by the special commission, with all its criticism of major components of the nuclear agreement, or a revised version of it, to the country's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for final consideration, effectively passing the responsibility for approving the JCPOA at its present form to SNSC and Rouhani's government.

Photo credit: Members of Majlis during consideration of the highly critical report by the Special Commission on JCPOA; Tehran, 4 October 2015  (Mahmoud Rahimi/Mehr News Agency)

P5+1, Iran FMs Meet on Implementation of JCPOA

Secretary of State John Kerry tweeted tonight that the meeting between foreign ministers of P5+1 and Iran on the sidelines of UNGA was good, discussing the implementation of the nuclear accord, JCPOA. 

Photo: @JohnKerry/Twitter