Page 12 - DMEA Week 22 2021

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

POLICY by the end of this week to consult with allow a UN mission to inspect the tanker had
their governments on sticking points. There “reached a dead end.”
Iran agreement now not were tentative suggestions that they might 1.1 million barrels of crude on board and has
The 45-year-old fuel vessel FSO Safer has
reconvene in Vienna on June 10.
expected until August Iran verifiably keeps its nuclear development been abandoned near Yemen’s western port of
The nuclear deal is designed to ensure
Hodeida since 2015.
Negotiators now expect to finalise a deal to programme entirely civilian. In return, the UN inspectors were initially meant to
revive the 2015 nuclear deal in August when major powers are supposed to shield the assess the tanker last year but the mission has
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s term country from major sanctions. Trump pulled been repeatedly delayed over disagreements
of office concludes, according to Ali Rabiei, the US out of the deal, otherwise known as the with the rebels.
spokesman for Iran’s government. JCPOA, arguing it was not tight enough. A spokesperson for Britain at the UN said
Hopes that an agreement acceptable to Another impediment to striking a deal there was a “grave risk” of an oil spill “which
Tehran and the US could be found ahead of emerged this week when a report from the would be catastrophic for Yemen and the
Iran’s June 18 presidential election appear UN nuclear watchdog showed that Iran has region.”
to be fading. If such a deadline was met, it failed to explain traces of uranium found at “The responsibility for the tanker lies with
might prove a vote winner for the candidates several undeclared sites. Nuclear inspectors the Huthis and they must cooperate with the
in the poll who are closer in their politics from the watchdog, the International Atomic UN. We are bringing this issue to the UN
to the pragmatic, moderate Rouhani. Thus Energy Authority (IAEA), have, meanwhile, Security Council tomorrow to discuss next
the hardliners close to the supreme leader, listed 15 areas in Iran where they can no steps,” he added.
Ayatollah Ali Khamene “who has the final longer do their monitoring job, including The Huthi rebels said Tuesday that
say on all matters of state and who on May the verification of centrifuge machine shops negotiations with the UN had reached an
27 approved the Guardian Council election and some parts of the uranium fuel cycle. impasse after several days of talks, according
vetting body’s move to exclude the top Investigators have also stated that they to their Al-Masira channel.
moderate candidates from the upcoming no longer have daily access to key Iranian They said they “deeply regret the UN’s
contest” would likely prefer any relaunch of enrichment facilities at Fordow or Natanz. backing out of conducting maintenance work
the nuclear deal to be announced once the The IAEA envoys responsible for (in a deal) that was signed last November.”
voting is over. maintaining checks on Iran are due to Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for
Rabiei said that there were “no obstacles” convene on June 7. In terms of censure, it is UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres,
in the way of negotiators in Vienna, who have possible they may opt to tread carefully given reiterated that maintenance work can’t be
completed their eighth week of talks, adding the delicate stage the JCPOA revival talks have undertaken without an impartial assessment
at a televised press conference: “We’re close reached. first. He said the rebels’ comments “seem
to an understanding over principal, nuclear BNE to confirm that the Huthis aren’t ready to
issues… [but there are] some differences provide the assurances we need to deploy the
such as [ex US president Donald] Trump’s UN Security Council to UN mission to the Safer.”
sanctions and Iran’s measures need to be “The Safer is a dangerous site, and we need
worked out.” discuss Yemen oil tanker to understand exactly what we’re dealing
“It is natural that due to the complexities with before undertaking any major works,”
created by the Trump administration’s impasse Dujarric said. The UN has said an oil spill
numerous sanctions and Iran’s measures..., would destroy Red Sea ecosystems, shut down
many details need to be considered, but none The UN Security Council will meet this week the fishing industry and close Yemen’s lifeline
of these obstacles are insurmountable,” Rabiei to discuss a long-abandoned fuel tanker off Hodeida port for six months.
added. Yemen amid growing fears of a catastrophic Apart from corrosion to the ageing vessel,
The delegations from Iran, the US, France, oil spill, diplomats said Wednesday. essential work to curb explosive gases in its
Germany, the UK, China and Russia were on Thursday’s meeting, requested by Britain, storage tanks has been neglected.
June 2 gearing up to return to their capitals comes after Huthi rebels said an agreement to AFP

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 22 03•June•2021