The United States and European Union lifted sanctions on Iran's oil, financial, and other sectors on January 16, after the International Atomic Energy Agency verified that Iran had dismantled major components of its nuclear program. Iran also received access to roughly $100 billion in frozen assets, while hundreds of Iranian entities were removed from the U.S., E.U., and U.N. blacklists. Iran's commitments under the nuclear deal included: shipping 98 percent of its low-enriched uranium to Russia; dismantling more than 12,000 centrifuges; and pouring cement into the core of the Arak reactor. In parallel to the implementation of the nuclear deal, the United States and Iran reached agreement on a prisoner exchange, which included the release of five Americans. In return, seven Iranians were released, and 14 others were removed from the Interpol wanted list.
News Briefs
December 28, 2015
Iran shipped out 25,000 pounds of nuclear material, including most of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium, to Russia on December 28, fulfilling a major requirement of the nuclear agreement. The shipment was technically part of a "fuel swap," with Iran receiving quantities of natural uranium, partly from Kazakhstan, in return. Under the nuclear agreement, Iran is permitted to retain only 300 kilograms of low-enriched uranium.
-- New York Times
December 15, 2015
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors voted unanimously to close the Agency's investigation into Iran's alleged past nuclear weapons work on December 15. That investigation concluded that Iran had a coordinated nuclear-weapons related program until 2003 and that some weapons-related activities continued through 2009. The closure of the investigation keeps Iran on track to receive large-scale sanctions relief as part of the nuclear accord reached with six world powers in July.
-- Wall Street Journal
December 15, 2015
Iran's October 10 ballistic missile test violated a U.N. Security Council resolution, according to a confidential report issued by the U.N.'s Iran Sanctions Committee's Panel of Experts. The panel's report concluded that the launch of the medium-range Emad missile violated U.N. Security Council resolution 1929. The resolution bans Iranian launches of ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, which the panel considers to be missiles with a range of at least 300 km that are capable of delivering a 500 kg payload. The panel assessed that the Emad has a range of at least 1,000 km and a payload capacity of at least 1,000 kg.
-- Reuters
December 8, 2015
Iran conducted a test of its medium-range Ghadr-110 ballistic missile on November 21 near the city of Chabahar, according to a Western diplomatic source. The Ghadr-110, a variant of the Shahab-3, is a liquid-fueled ballistic missile with a reported range of 1,900 km (1,180 miles) and the capability to carry a nuclear warhead. United Nations Security Council resolution 1929, which remains in force until the implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran, prohibits Iranian launches of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said the United States is conducting a serious review of the reported incident.
-- Reuters
December 2, 2015
The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) final report on Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon concluded that Iran was actively designing a nuclear weapon until 2009. The report, issued on December 2, found that Iran had made a "coordinated effort" to design and test nuclear weapons components until 2003, and that some activities continued through 2009. The report was based on partial answers given by Iran to the IAEA's inquiries after the nuclear accord was finalized in July.
-- New York Times
November 28, 2015
Kenyan authorities arrested two Kenyan men with ties to Iran's Qods Force on suspicion of planning terror attacks in Nairobi. According to Kenya's Interior Ministry, the two men, Abubakar Sadiq Louw and Yassin Sambai Juma, were conspiring to attack Western targets in the Kenyan capital, including hotels. Louw, 69, who is suspected of working for the Qods Force, allegedly recruited Juma, 25, in Nairobi and arranged for him to travel to Iran and meet a Qods Force contact. Louw is a prominent member of Nairobi's Shi'ite Muslim community, the Interior Ministry said.
-- Reuters
November 15, 2015
Iran has started decommissioning centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility, according to Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. In a November 15 interview, Salehi said that Iran is in the process of decommissioning inactive centrifuges at Natanz. There are about 20,000 total centrifuges at Natanz, of which about 10,000 are inactive. Salehi said Iran has not yet decommissioned any active centrifuges at Natanz nor any centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear facility.
-- Iranian Students News Agency
November 9, 2015
Russia announced on November 9 that it will start deliveries of the S-300 air defense system to Iran by the end of 2016. Sergey Chemesov, chief executive of the state-run Russian Technologies corporation, said that the contract between Russia and Iran for delivery of the S-300 surface-to-air missile complex had been signed. The announcement ends a legal dispute between the two countries. The sale was initially agreed to in 2007, but Russia blocked delivery of the system in 2010 in response to political pressure from the United States. Iran had responded with a $4 billion legal claim against Rosoboronexport.
-- Financial Times
November 4, 2015
Deutsche Bank agreed on November 4 to pay fines totaling $258 million and fire six employees to settle charges that the bank violated U.S. sanctions laws. Between 1999 and 2006, the German bank conducted 27,200 transactions, totaling over $10.86 billion, for customers in Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Syria, and Sudan. According to regulators, bank employees developed methods to shield the transactions from scrutiny. Deutsche Bank will pay $200 million to the New York State Department of Financial Services and $58 million to the Federal Reserve.
-- New York Times