Negotiators make tentative agreement on Iran sanctions

VIENNA – The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency said Saturday that he hopes to complete his controversial investigation of Iran’s past nuclear activities by December, potentially removing a key obstacle to completion of a sweeping nuclear deal between six world powers and the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, diplomats said there had been progress on another disputed issue in the negotiations: the sanctions relief that Iran will receive as part of the deal. Negotiators reached a tentative agreement on the structure and schedule for easing the restrictions, though more work and a high-level blessing are needed, officials said.

“If and when issues get resolved at an expert’s level, there will remain some open issues that can only be decided by ministers,” a senior Obama administration official said. Negotiators “still have a bunch of work to do” on the sanctions issue, added the official, who would not be named while the discussions were still in progress.

Diplomats also have reached tentative agreement on a mechanism to restore suspended sanctions if Iran is found to be violating the eventual accord. U.S. officials consider this “snapback” essential and have pressed to avoid allowing a small number of countries to block it from happening.

Under the proposed arrangement, a panel made up of the six major powers and Iran would examine any assertions that Tehran is not living up to its obligations. The U.N. Security Council would periodically adopt a resolution rolling over suspension of the sanctions.

But if a council member believed Iran to be in violation of the rules, it could prevent the rollover and reinstate the sanctions, officials say.

The United States and the five other world powers – France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China – are seeking a deal that would ease sanctions on Iran if it agrees to steps intended to keep it from obtaining a nuclear bomb for 10 to 15 years. Negotiators for the group have been working in Vienna for the last week toward a self-imposed deadline of Tuesday.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters he hopes to complete the IAEA’s probe of Iran’s past activities if Tehran cooperates in answering questions on past work.

“With the cooperation from Iran, I think we can issue a report by the end of the year on the assessment of the clarification of the issues related to possible military dimensions,” he said.