Report: Draft Iran Nuclear Deal Outlines Mutual Steps for Return

 

Iran dismissed the report as 'unsourced spin

by Dave DeCamp 

Posted onFebruary 17, 2022CategoriesNewsTagsIran

On Thursday, Reuters reported that a draft agreement between the US and Iran would involve mutual steps for both sides to take, although Iran dismissed the report as “unsourced spin.”

Citing unnamed diplomats, the report said the first phase of the draft deal includes the release of Western prisoners in Iran. But it makes no mention of the release of Iranian prisoners that are held in the US, and it’s unlikely Tehran would agree to release prisoners without making a swap.

Until recently, the US and Iran have always kept prisoner exchanges as separate issues from nuclear negotiations, and Tehran has little reason to make additional concessions to revive the deal.

The report says the first phase will also include Iran suspending uranium enrichment over 5% and the release of about $7 billion in Iranian funds that have been frozen in South Korea by US sanctions.

After the US lifts major sanctions and other additional steps, Iran would bring uranium enrichment down to the 3.67% limit set by the JCPOA, and the US would issue sanctions waivers for Iranian oil sales.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh appeared to reject Reuters’ reporting. “Misinformation disguised as reporting is dangerous,” he wrote on Twitter. “The final deal to let the US return to the JCPOA will be far from the unsourced spin making the rounds. It won’t be a bilateral agreement either. Expect more spin as we approach final days.”

Iranian officials said this week that the US and Iran are “closer than ever” to reaching an agreement in Vienna. But the Iranians stress that it is ultimately up to whether or not the US is ready to give enough sanctions relief.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/02/17/report-draft-iran-nuclear-deal-outlines-mutual-steps-for-return/