Nuclear: pending talks, Washington partially lifts sanctions on Tehran

The new round of indirect negotiations between the parties is scheduled for the weekend in Vienna. The measure affects three former government officials and two oil companies from the Islamic Republic. US spokesman: "conciliatory" gesture on the eve of the meetings, ready "to be reasonable" on sanctions.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The United States has lifted part of the economic sanctions against Iran. The measure affects three former government officials and two oil-related companies; comes on the eve of the new round of indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Vienna on nuclear power (JCPOA), scheduled for the weekend,

Sources in the White House speak of a "conciliatory" gesture a few hours after a meeting that could sanction the full US return to the pact signed in 2015 by Barack Obama and disavowed three years later by his successor Donald Trump.

The Biden administration remains cautious and urges not to give too much importance to the decision. Also because, at the same time, punitive measures were ordered against a group of people and activities headed by Sa'id Ahmad Muhammad al-Jamal, for the support provided to the Houthi rebels in the bloody war in Yemen. The sanctions lifted yesterday affected former officials and companies "involved in the purchase, sale, transport or marketing of Iranian petrochemicals".

State Department spokesman, Ned Price, stresses that "there are no links" between the sanctions and talks with world powers and the Islamic Republic. "What we want to say to Iran - he adds - is that we want to be reasonable. When the sanctions are no longer justified, we are ready to revoke them, but when they are justified, we are ready to impose them”.

Meanwhile, the attention of international diplomacy is focused on Vienna, where the sixth round of indirect talks between the US and Iran is about to begin. Recently, Tehran progressively violated the terms of the pact by easing restrictions on nuclear activities. The first steps in this direction date back to 2019, in response to the May 2018 withdrawal by the then US President Donald Trump from the JCPOA and the reintroduction of the toughest sanctions in history, causing a collapse of the Iranian economy.

The temporary agreement will expire on June 24, a few days before the presidential elections to close the era of moderate Hassan Rouhani (who will not be able to stand as a candidate having finished his second term) and lead a conservative to power. A change destined to also affect the timing, methods and possible results of the ongoing nuclear talks.

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