Foreign Ministtry sends 5th JCPOA report to Majlis

The report is divided into three parts: “The Latest Developments in the Field of Nuclear Activities”, “The Latest Development in Removal of Sanctions”, and “Impediments and Challenges”.

• The Latest Developments in the Field of Nuclear Activities
In the last three months, the activities concerning JCPOA have been advancing non-stop and according to the preplanned schedule, especially in the completely significant field of Research and Enrichment, whose most important developments are:

1. Injection of UF6 gas into IR-8 strategic centrifuges has been started: IR-8 and IR-6 centrifuges will shape the future of our enrichment industry.
1. For modernizing Arak heavy-water reactor, conceptual replanning of the reactor is completed by Iranian experts.
2. The heavy-water plant continues to work in full capacity.
3. In Fordow, in addition to keeping all infrastructures, installations, equipment, and centrifuges located in one of the site, which means the strategic capacity of Fordow is safeguarded, an agreement has been reached with the Russian Government after technical and specialized negotiations on the project of separating stable isotopes using centrifuge method.
4. Interaction with the IAEA, with the purpose of verification of Iran’s commitments in the framework of the agreement and the Additional Protocol, continue without any serious problems. The Director General of the IAEA in his latest report to the Board of Governors on February 24, 2017, once again certified Iran had been doing his JCPOA commitments.
5. Concerning yellowcake stockpiles, the related processes are being done according to the agreement without any limitations.
6. Regarding the enriched uranium stockpiles, the Islamic Republic of Iran has abided by its commitments and kept them less than 300 kilograms in the enriched form or the equal weight in other chemical forms.
7. In line with the increasing interactions with the IAEA in using its right of peaceful nuclear energy usage, Iran continues to strengthen its tie with the countries having this technology through holding seminars with European and non-European countries.

• The Latest Development in Removal of Sanctions
The expected function of the JPOA in economy was and is the removal of ‘nuclear-based sanctions’. After the JPOA enactment, nuclear-based sanctions on Iran were removed.

These inequitable and unfair sanctions were impose with the purpose of paralyzing the economy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and were focused on three major fields, including oil and gas, transportation and banking and financial, and some minor areas, including water and electricity, industry and trade, heath and treatment, and agriculture. The greater part of the aforementioned sanctions, have been removed as agreed in JCPOA and the removal process has been in progress in the last three months.

The progresses in the last three months are:
1. Developments in banking and financial: After the enactment of the JCPOA there have been many considerable openings in the field.
2. Developments in oil, gas, and petrochemical: The sanctions on this field have been completely removed. No reports have been received signifying that there is a major impediment to production, export, and transport of the revenue of oil sale. The average export of crude oil has doubled after the JCPOA.
3. Developments in transportation: after the enactment of the JCPOA, all the nuclear-based sanctions in this field have been removed and no reports implying any serious problems have been received.
4. Removal of the names of Iranian companies from sanctions list of the EU: After negotiations and perseverance, three major companies were removed from the sanctions list of the European Union.
5. Removal of the names of Iranians from the list of UK Export Control: UK Export Control had prepared a list named ‘Iran List’ for UK-based exporters. The exporters had to ask for a permit to export the goods on the list and some regular goods, not needing a permit in a normal situation, to Iran.
6. Amendment of the laws regarding medical and agricultural equipment to Iran on the part of the US: Some changes that took place in some US laws facilitated providing some advanced medical items from the US.
7. Developments in JCPOA purchase channel: The JCPOA purchase channels have been continuously active. In the last few months, six requests for exporting items necessary for Iran’s industries, including mining, pharmaceutical, steel and car manufacturing industries, have been passed. The requested items were previously banned due to UN Security Council and the EU.
8. Most recent conditions of nuclear-based sanctions: After the enactment of the JCPOA, 611 people and Iranian organizations, alongside 303 aircrafts, ships, and tankers were removed from the sanctions list of the US, the UN Security Council, and the EU.
9. Holding joint commission: The next meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission will be held in Vienna on April 25. The attendees of the meeting will be from Iran, the representatives of EU, and 5+1 Group. This meeting is held every three months to examine JCPOA enactment process and the possible problems and impediments.

• Impediments and Challenges
As it has been mentioned in the first four reports, since the enactment of the JCPOA on January 16, 2016, some default, failure and negligence slowed down the materialization of the opportunities. The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by trying and working round-the-clock, has made the other side to abide by their commitments. And any kind of delay, foot–dragging, default is without hesitation reported to the qualified organizations, especially the Parliament’s JCPOA Supervising Committee.

The obstacles and impediments were dealt with in detail in the previous report, many of which are still standing. The following problems have challenged the process of JCPOA in the last three months:
1. US’s adding some Iranians to the sanctions list because of the Iran’s missile program: The US has added 13 legal persons and individuals to that list. They have also added 11 non-Iranians (10 from China, 1 from the UAE) to the sanctions list due to providing parts needed for Iranian missile program.
2. New US government: The new government of the US says, they are examining the deal, but in the meantime, they abide by their commitments.
3. Non-JCPOA problems: Some non-JCPOA challenges are impeding the JCPOA enactment, including US primary sanctions, non-nuclear sanctions and limitations, limitations of FATF, etc.

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