UPDATE 1925 GMT: Foreign Minister Zarif has conceded that sanctions on Iran will not be lifted as soon as a comprehensive nuclear agreement is signed. Indeed — despite his challenge of the US fact sheet setting out the conditions for the removal as International Atomic Energy Agency verification of Iran’s compliance — he has effectively admitted that it is correct:

The remaining difference appears to be the timeframe for removal. Zarif says that State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf’s “six months” is a “guesstimate”, and says that it could be “six weeks”.

The Foreign Minster appeals to Iranians:


UPDATE 1905 GMT: Questioned on State TV, Foreign Minister Zarif is now facing the tension that has developed over the US fact sheet setting out the terms of the nuclear framework. After denying that Iran put out its own fact sheet — “what has been published is people showing our gains” — he is challenged, “Why is [the US] fact sheet different from the formal statement [of the 5+1 Powers and Iran]? Why doesn’t it say that it’s not a legal document?”

Zarif tries to shift responsibility to the Americans, “US team first prepared fact sheet [on Wednesday], then negotiated. Hard time at home, so they’re worried about internal pressure.”

Still, the Foreign Minister’s description of the framework fits most of the American description, such as the number of uranium centrifuges and the provision that no centrifuges at the Fordoo plant will be connected with enrichment.

The key difference is Zarif’s repetition that UN sanctions will be “terminated” as soon as a comprehensive agreement is reached. He does not mention the US provision “as soon as the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies Iranian compliance”.


UPDATE 1845 GMT: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, now speaking on State TV, is selling the nuclear framework by declaring that the 5+1 Powers had set far tougher conditions than those eventually arranged in Switzerland this week:

However, Zarif has indicated that Iran will not protest the terms stated this week. Instead, “if there are too many demands in the drafting process [for a comprehensive agreement, we will resist”.


UPDATE 1245 GMT: Iran’s lead nuclear negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, has opened up the discussion over the timing of the removal of US-led and UN sanctions under a comprehensive agreement.

Araqchi repeated the Iranian line that sanctions would be terminated in the “first phase” after an agreement.

The US said, in its fact sheet on last Thursday’s parameters of an agreement, that the sanctions will be lifted as soon as the International Atomic Energy Agency verifies Iranian compliance.

The New York Times reported on Saturday how the two fact sheets were arranged: “The Iranians did not want to publish a list of agreed upon points. So it was agreed that each side would put out its own — as long as they did not directly contradict each other.”

The Times did not say if the Americans and Iranians showed each other their respective fact sheets before distribution to the media.

On Friday night, Araqchi began the step back from Thursday’s declaration of a nuclear framework, saying on State TV that the American fact sheet was not credible.

Iranian journalists have reportedly said that Zarif, who tweeted on Thursday that there was no need to “spin with ‘fact sheets'” accused the Americans of lying and sent a strong-worded protest in an e-mail to US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Iranian State media are also headlining a statement by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius indicating that implementation of sanctions removal is to be confirmed in forthcoming talks:

We say to them [Iranians]: we will ease the sanctions as you respect what you have agreed to and if you don’t live up to your commitments, of course we can return to the situation we had before.

On this point, there is not yet a deal.

Press TV also proclaims, “Iran Says EU [European Union] to Benefit Most Once Sanctions Lifted”.


President Rouhani has presented the framework for a comprehensive nuclear deal, agreed with the 5+1 Powers on Thursday, to the Iranian people.

Speaking on State TV on Friday, Rouhani said that Iran would fulfil its promises under the arrangement if the 5+1 (US, Britain, China, Russia, France, and Germany) did so as well.

See Iran Special: US Wins Big in Nuclear Framework — But Can Iran Win as Well?

Hailing a “historic move within a framework of mutual interests”, Rouhani played down Iranian concessions — including a long-term 50% reduction in operating centrifuges — by emphasizing the continuation of the nuclear program and economic revival with the lifting of sanctions:

One of the promises the government made was that the centrifuges have to spin and people’s lives, economy have to move forward. Today we have gotten closer to that objective….

[The 5+1 Powers] have accepted in the framework of understanding…that Iran will have domestic enrichment on its soil; this means that those who stated that Iran’s enrichment is a threat to the region and the world have admitted today that enrichment in Iran is no threat to anyone.

On the key point of the removal of sanctions, Rouhani continued the general Iranian assertion that they “will be canceled on the very first day the deal is implemented”.

The US summary of the framework says that American, European Union, and UN restrictions will be removed when the International Atomic Energy Agency verified Iranian compliance with the terms of a comprehensive nuclear deal. The sanctions can be re-imposed if the Islamic Republic is ever found in violation of the limits on the nuclear program.

See Iran Feature: Key Points of the Nuclear Framework

The framework follows months of intense discussions between Iran and the 5+1 Powers, which extended beyond an informal March 31 deadline. The details of the agreement, including its implementation, are to be confirmed before a cut-off of June 30.

Meanwhile, the headline daily Kayhan maintains its attack on the framework:

Kayhan’s editor, Hossein Shariatmadari jabbed Friday that Iran’s negotiators went out with “a fully-saddled horse” but came back with one “with only tattered reins”.