BICOM

The head of Iran’s atomic energy agency has warned that last year’s nuclear agreement could be jeopardised if relief from sanctions is not felt more keenly in Iran.

The nuclear agreement, which was signed last July, is intended to see Iran curb its nuclear development over the next ten years in return for easing international sanctions.

Ali Akbar Salehi told the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference yesterday that while Iran had honoured its commitments regarding the agreement with the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany), “expectations regarding comprehensive and expeditious removal of all sanctions as stipulated… have yet to be met”.

Salehi added that the “durability” of the agreement rested on the “crucial foundation” of “reciprocal and full implementation of the commitments by the P5+1”.

However, US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz denied that there had been any foot-dragging over sanctions relief. He told a news conference yesterday that “the sanctions that were to be relieved have been relieved”.

He added: “The consequences of that in terms of how many companies make foreign direct investments in Iran is not for the government to decide, that’s for companies to decide.”

The US maintains non-nuclear related sanctions on Iran, over issues such as Iran’s continued ballistic missile development. Since last July’s nuclear agreement was signed, Iran has carried out ballistic missile tests on at least three occasions. In March, it tested the medium-range Qiam-1 missile, marked with the words “Israel must be wiped out” in Hebrew.

Such tests are a breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1929, passed in 2010, which bans Iran from any ballistic missile development capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology. It is also a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, passed the day after July’s agreement was signed, which compels Iran to refrain from any work on ballistic missiles for eight years.