By Raffi Berg
Copyright bbc
Donald Trump pulled the US out in his first term as US president, criticising the deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama as flawed.
Iran barred IAEA inspectors from accessing its nuclear facilities after Israel and the US bombed several of its nuclear sites, as well as military bases, in June after negotiations held indirectly between the US and Iran to try to reach a new nuclear deal became deadlocked.
Iran is legally obligated under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to allow inspections. It has been in talks this week with the IAEA to find a way forward, but has warned that a return of sanctions will put that in jeopardy.
The sanctions would include:
an arms embargoa ban on uranium enrichmenta ban on activity connected to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weaponsa freeze of assets and a travel ban on Iranian figures and entitiesauthorisation of countries to inspect Iran Air and Iran Shipping Lines cargo
Unless a solution is found, UN sanctions would come into force first, followed by EU sanctions next week.
Western powers and the IAEA say they are not convinced that Iran’s nuclear programme has purely peaceful purposes.
Iran strongly insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons, and that its programme is solely a civilian one.
