US extends sanctions waivers allowing Iran nuclear work

WASHINGTON • The United States has allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue their work at Iranian nuclear sites to make it harder for Teheran to develop nuclear weapons, the State Department said on Monday.

Reuters had earlier reported that the decision to renew waivers to sanctions that bar non-US firms from dealing with Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was expected on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter including an American official.

Jewish News Syndicate, a news outlet that predominantly focuses on Israel and the Jewish world, had first reported that the United States was expected to renew the waivers, citing two sources familiar with the decision.

The wavier move by the Trump administration, which in 2018 withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran, will allow non-proliferation work to continue at the Arak heavy-water research reactor, the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Teheran Research Reactor and other nuclear initiatives.

As part of its "maximum pressure" campaign, the US has not only restored sanctions it had removed under the Iran nuclear deal, but has also tightened them to try to force Iran to curb its nuclear, missile and regional activities.

The Trump administration has repeatedly waived the sanctions related to non-proliferation work with Iran on the argument that such projects are designed to make the Iranian nuclear programme less capable of producing weapons.

"As President (Donald) Trump said earlier this year, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon," said State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus in a statement.

"We will continue to closely monitor all developments in Iran's nuclear programme and can adjust these restrictions at any time." The waivers are renewed for 60 days, according to the statement.

Washington's overall policy towards Teheran has faced increasing criticism from opponents and the Iranian authorities who say the US sanctions are hampering the country's efforts to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed 2,898 Iranians and infected over 44,000 others.

The Iranian authorities have urged other countries and the United Nations to call for the measures to be lifted. Washington has rejected the assertion.

"Stop lying... It's not the sanctions. It's the regime," Ms Ortagus said on Monday in a Twitter post that copied a tweet by Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accusing Washington of waging an economic war on Iranians and engaging in "medical terror" amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Washington has so far refused to lift any sanctions and has even ramped up its pressure campaign. Last week, it blacklisted five Iran-and Iraq-based companies and 15 individuals for supporting terrorist groups, its third round of sanctions on Iranian targets in two weeks.

Under the 2015 agreement between Iran and six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US - Teheran agreed to limit its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions that had crippled its economy.

Teheran has long rejected Western assertions that it has sought to develop nuclear weapons.

REUTERS