Page 10 - MEOG Week 30 2021

MEOG POLICY MEOG

Weak commitment to reviving

JCPOA could trigger export action

IRAN US officials have further briefed that if Iran’s there was no need to punish Chinese firms vio-
incoming hardline Ebrahim Raisi administra- lating US sanctions by buying Iranian crude, the
tion does not adopt a sufficient pace and com- official said.
mitment in negotiating a revival of the 2015 “If we are back in the JCPOA, then there’s no
nuclear deal, Washington will crack down on reason to sanction companies that are importing
the Iranians’ growing oil sales to China. Iranian oil,” the official was quoted as saying.
As moderate Iranian President Hassan Rou- “If we are in a world in which the prospect of
hani enters his final week in office before cleric an imminent return to the JCPOA seems to be
and former judiciary chief Raisi takes over, vanishing, then that posture will have to adjust,”
Washington is clearly worried that the process he added.
aimed at restoring the nuclear accord, known as The official, speaking on condition of ano-
the JCPOA, could be derailed. nymity, also said that Iran has been “very murky”
“If ... we were to conclude that the talks about its intentions as regards the attempt to
[towards restoring the JCPOA] are dragging on re-establish the JCPOA, under which Iran
for too long and we don’t have a sense of whether agreed to measures and inspections designed
they are going to reach a positive outcome, then to ensure its nuclear development programme
of course we would have to take a fresh look at stays entirely civilian in return for relief from
our sanctions enforcement, including on Chi- heavy international sanctions.
nese entities that were purchasing Iranian oil,” In the same Reuters report, an Iranian official
a US official was on July 23 cited as saying by said Raisi and his nuclear team were insisting on
Reuters, declining to predict the timing of any starting from scratch and would refuse to pick
decision. up the nuclear talks where they ended in June
“It’s not ... black and white,” he added. “We’ll in Vienna.
make it based on the time it’s taking for Iran to “They want their own terms and conditions
come back and the posture they will take if and and they have more demands like keeping the
when they do come back.” 60% [uranium] enrichment or chain of advanced
Under former US President Donald Trump, [enrichment] centrifuges and not dismantling
US officials stuck to the tough line for around them as demanded by Washington,” the official
two years that they would punish any oil exports was reported as saying.
discovered to have originated in Iran. China is the biggest importer of Iranian oil,
In his remarks to Reuters, the official more with shipments averaging between 400,000
or less confirmed that the Biden administration and 650,000 bpd this year on a monthly basis,
has been turning a blind eye to Iranian oil sales according to data intelligence firm Kpler. May
to China, even though they breach the so far volumes spiked to nearly 1 million bpd.
retained Trump sanctions. Reuters reported on July 22 that Chinese
Washington told Beijing earlier this year its logistics firm China Concord Petroleum Co has
main aim was to revive compliance with the emerged as a central player in the supply of sanc-
nuclear deal and, assuming a timely return, thus tioned oil from Iran and Venezuela.™

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