FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2015
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UANI Releases Resource on Nuclear Framework
U.S., Iranian, EU-Iran Statements and 'Fact Sheets' Show Substantive Differences
New York, NY - United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) is releasing a new resource highlighting the substantial differences in the U.S. and Iranian interpretations of key measures outlined in the framework announced last week by the Italian and Iranian Foreign Ministers.
For example, within hours of the announcement, Iranian officials disputed U.S. characterizations of the framework statement as "spin." The joint statement from EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the 'fact sheets' subsequently released by the U.S., Iran, and France, contain differing interpretations of a number of key concessions and commitments. Clearly, many crucial issues remain unresolved. Notably, after 16 months of negotiations that included multiple extensions and postponements of deadlines and two 'plans of action,' the international community can still not verify whether Iran's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.
In the wake of the Joint Plan of Action struck in November 2013, the White House made a number of assertions that proved to be unfounded, including that sanctions relief provided by the international community "simply will not move the needle on the Iranian economy." Therefore and in light of the gaps between the P5+1 and Iran's interpretations of the framework statement for drafting a comprehensive agreement, UANI looks forward to clarification about a number of issues and concerns, particularly the timing and scale of further sanctions relief and the nature of any inspection and verification regime intended to guarantee the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program.
Sanctions Relief
According to statements by U.S. officials, sanctions on Iran will be lifted in phases after verification of its concessions and commitments under the framework. Iranian officials claims differ. Iran believes that nuclear-related sanctions will be terminated immediately and up front.
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U.S.
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Iran
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Joint EU-Iran Statement
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"U.S. and E.U. nuclear-related sanctions will be suspended after the IAEA has verified that Iran has taken all of its key nuclear-related steps. If at any time Iran fails to fulfill its commitments, these sanctions will snap back into place."
"All past UN Security Council resolutions on the Iran nuclear issue will be lifted simultaneous with the completion, by Iran, of nuclear-related actions addressing all key concerns (enrichment, Fordow, Arak, PMD, and transparency)."
"However, core provisions in the UN Security Council resolutions - those that deal with transfers of sensitive technologies and activities - will be re-established by a new UN Security Council resolution that will endorse the JCPOA and urge its full implementation."
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"After the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action, all of the UN resolutions will be revoked and all of the multilateral economic and financial sanctions by the EU and the unilateral ones by the US will be annulled."
"...at ... the start of Iran's nuclear-related implementation work, all of the sanctions will be automatically annulled on a single specified day."
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"The EU will terminate the implementation of all nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions and the US will cease the application of all nuclear-related secondary economic and financial sanctions, simultaneously with the IAEA-verified implementation by Iran of its key nuclear commitments.
A new UN Security Council Resolution will endorse the JCPOA, terminate all previous nuclear-related resolutions and incorporate certain restrictive measures for a mutually agreed period of time."
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Advanced Centrifuges, R&D
U.S. officials state that Iran's research and development of advanced centrifuges will be "limited." The Iranian fact sheet makes no mention of such restrictions. The French fact sheet adds that Iran will be permitted "to gradually introduce the use of advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium after 12 years" and appears to comport with the Iranian position that its R&D of advanced centrifuges will continue.
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U.S.
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Iran
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Joint EU-Iran Statement
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"Iran will not use its IR-2, IR-4, IR-5, IR-6, or IR-8 models to produce enriched uranium for at least ten years. Iran will engage in limited research and development with its advanced centrifuges, according to a schedule and parameters which have been agreed to by the P5+1."
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"Iran will continue its research and development on advanced machines and will continue the initiation and completion phases of the research and development process of IR-4, IR-5, IR-6, and IR-8 centrifuges during the 10 year period of the Comprehensive Plan for Joint Action."
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"Iran's research and development on centrifuges will be carried out on a scope and schedule that has been mutually agreed."
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Nuclear Weaponization Allegations (PMD)
The framework statement does not address Iran's alleged past weaponization work. It is unclear how the primary objective of negotiations i.e. assuring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program can be achieved without determining the scope of any military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program.
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U.S.
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Iran
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Joint EU-Iran Statement
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"Iran will implement an agreed set of measures to address the IAEA's concerns regarding the Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) of its program."
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--NOT MENTIONED--
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--NOT MENTIONED--
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Stockpile of Enriched Uranium
The U.S. fact sheet specifies that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium will be reduced to 300 kg. Iran's fact sheet and the joint statement lack any such specificity. Iran's reduction of its stockpile to hundreds of kilograms is one of the Administration's major selling points of a deal.
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U.S.
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Iran
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Joint EU-Iran Statement
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"Iran has agreed to reduce its current stockpile of about 10,000 kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to 300 kg of 3.67 percent LEU for 15 years."
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"Iran will be able to use the existing enriched stockpile for producing a nuclear fuel center and/or its export to international markets in exchange for uranium."
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"Iran's enrichment... stockpile will be limited for specified durations."
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Inspections & Verification Regime: The Additional Protocol
U.S. officials state that Iran's adherence to the inspections regime known as the Additional Protocol will be "permanent." The French document indicates that the IAEA will have "anywhere, anytime" access to suspect sites in Iran, "whereas the US document is less far-reaching." On the contrary, Iran states it will implement the Additional Protocol on "a voluntary and temporary basis."
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U.S.
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Iran
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Joint EU-Iran Statement
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"Iran has agreed to implement the Additional Protocol of the IAEA... Iran's adherence to the Additional Protocol of the IAEA is permanent..."
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"Iran will implement the Additional Protocol on a voluntary and temporary basis for the sake of transparency and confidence building, and, in continuation, the approval process of the Protocol will be ratified within a specified timeframe under the mandate of the President and the Islamic Consultative Assembly."
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"A set of measures have been agreed to monitor the provisions of the JCPOA including ... provisional application of the Additional Protocol."
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Duration of Agreement
Iranian officials state that the agreement's restrictions will be limited to 10 years. On the contrary, the U.S. fact sheet says certain measures will last more than 15 years.
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U.S.
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Iran
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Joint EU-Iran Statement
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"For ten years, Iran will limit domestic enrichment capacity and research and development... For fifteen years, Iran will limit additional elements of its program. For instance, Iran will not build new enrichment facilities or heavy water reactors and will limit its stockpile of enriched uranium and accept enhanced transparency procedures."
"Important inspections and transparency measures will continue well beyond 15 years."
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"The timeframe of the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action regarding Iran's enrichment program will be 10 years."
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"As Iran pursues a peaceful nuclear programme, Iran's enrichment capacity, enrichment level and stockpile will be limited for specified durations..."
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