Iran started to make changes
to its nuclear sites just a couple of days ago as it had some
contractors remove centrifuges from its nuclear facilities.
This
comes as a trust building measure to make the International Atomic
Energy Agency write a report to the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France,
Russia, China, and Germany) in which to confirm the peaceful nature of
the Iranian nuclear program.
Accordingly, then, the six powerful countries will lift economic sanctions on the Islamic republic based on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between them and the Islamic Republic of Iran on July 14.
Iran has begun decommissioning uranium enrichment centrifuges under the terms of the nuclear deal struck with six world powers in July, Tehran's nuclear chief was quoted by Reuters as saying on Monday during a visit to Tokyo.
"We have started the preliminary work" on implementing the agreement, Ali Akbar Salehi Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief was quoted as saying by Japan's Kyodo news agency, adding that the measures include reducing the number of active centrifuge machines.
Under the July 14 agreement, Iran is to curb its nuclear program under UN supervision to ensure it cannot be used to make a nuclear arms.
Centrifuges spin at supersonic speed to increase the ratio of the fissile isotope in uranium. Low-enriched uranium is used to fuel nuclear power plants, Iran's stated goal.
Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, conditionally approved the deal last month, but the lawmakers said that beginning implementation so soon was against his directives.
Now there are the lawmakers that are worried that Iran is doing all this despite arrangements in the JCPOA that both sides should follow simultaneous steps, that is, as Iran changes the buildup of its nuclear industry, the Western powers should lift their economic sanctions.
Twenty lawmakers urged President Hassan Rouhani to stop removing centrifuges from the Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities in central Iran.
"Unfortunately, over the past two days, several contractors have started removing centrifuges in Fordow, saying they will remain there for two weeks to complete the task,” the lawmakers said in a letter addressing President Rouhani on Sunday.
According to the nuclear deal, which was clinched between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, Tehran is committed to reducing the number of centrifuges.
Under the JCPOA, available on the official website of the United States Department of State, Iran will convert the Fordow facility into a nuclear, physics and technology center. In the meantime, international collaboration, including in the form of joint scientific partnerships, will be established in agreed areas of research. 1044 IR-1 centrifuges operating in six cascades will remain in one wing at Fordow.
What is more, 2 of these cascades will spin without uranium and will be transitioned, including through appropriate infrastructure adjustments, for stable isotope production. The other four cascades, with all associated infrastructure, will remain idle. All other centrifuges and enrichment-related infrastructure will be removed and stored under continuous monitoring by the IAEA.
The lawmakers also urged Rouhani to obey Supreme Leader’s directives on the implementation of the nuclear deal.
"The government is expected to fully respect the conditions which serve the Iranian nation's interests, in line with the implementation of the law and defending the interests of the great Iranian nation," the MPs’ letter read.
The parliamentarians also cautioned the president that failing to comply with ayatollah Khamenei’s directives, would put the nation’s interests at risk.
The legislators also stated that Tehran should take no practical steps to implement the JCPOA before US President Barack Obama and the EU official statement is released on the complete removal of the financial and economic sanctions against Tehran.
Earlier, in a mid-October letter addressing Rouhani, Khamenei outlined a set of conditions for implementing the JCPOA.
The supreme leader in a letter earlier had outlined in nine sections how he expected the nuclear deal to be implemented.
The country’s foreign minister recently said the government follows the guidelines mentioned in the letter. "The guidelines of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution are as always like a torch to enlighten our path in implementing the JCPOA,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday, expressing gratitude to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his letter to President Rouhani.
He said the letter is to be put to action by all government bodies, also thanking Parliament representatives for "helping a better understanding of the JCPOA”.
"From now on we all will try at a unified front to better carry out the guidelines of Ayatollah Khemenei, implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in a way that does the greatest good to people as well as to the Islamic resistance and the fans of the Islamic Republic,” Zarif stated.
The government, however, believes that actions are being followed bilaterally, that is, in the meantime that Iran is making changes to its nuclear facilities, the Western party is also doing its part of the job.
The fact is witnessed in numerous visits by Western politicians and business delegations to Iran, all trying to find venues for cooperation in the post-sanctions era.
But there are also other moves that show the sanctions are going to be lifted. A UK court appeal held last week that Iran’s Bank Mellat must be given access to documents on which the government based its decision to impose sanctions.
The Iranian bank is suing the British government for $4bn in losses for banning it and other Iranian banks from doing business with UK financial institutions. The Treasury had argued that it did not need to disclose its alleged evidence for the sanctions.
Also, Rouhani vowed last week that all the sanctions will be removed by the end of the current year. All in all, it seems that world powers have decided that the Iranian nuclear case has to be treated in another way than before, and that removing the sanctions and having Iran more cooperative is more beneficial.
