









Iran quits nuclear talks protesting US blacklist move

by Staff Writers

Tehran (AFP) Dec 13, 2013





US denies breaking 'spirit' of Iran deal

Washington (AFP) Dec 13, 2013 - The United States on Friday denied that blacklisting more than a dozen companies and people accused of evading sanctions against Iran had violated a landmark nuclear deal reached with Tehran. Washington (AFP) Dec 13, 2013 - The United States on Friday denied that blacklisting more than a dozen companies and people accused of evading sanctions against Iran had violated a landmark nuclear deal reached with Tehran. And a State Department spokeswoman defended the surprise announcement that caused Iran to walk out of talks in Vienna, saying Iranian officials had been given a heads-up. "We have been very clear throughout the entire negotiating process with the Iranians that we were going to continue designations. They knew that," spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. Under a November 24 deal reached in Geneva between Iran and six global powers, Tehran agreed to freeze parts of its nuclear enrichment program for six months in return for $7 billion in sanctions relief to help its crippled economy. The United States also agreed not to unveil any new nuclear sanctions, and US officials have insisted that Thursday's designations of sanctions-busting companies and individuals were imposed under legislation already on the books. But Iran on Friday abruptly withdrew from technical talks on implementing the agreement, saying that Washington had violated "the spirit" of the Geneva deal. Tehran was now weighing the "appropriate response," chief negotiator Abbas Araqchi told the Fars news agency as his team headed back to Tehran from Vienna. But Harf dismissed the break in the talks, saying the negotiators had always planned to return home to consult with their governments. US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday during a visit to Jerusalem that the talks were expected to continue "in the next few days." Iran nuclear talks expected to resume in 'next few days': Kerry

Jerusalem (AFP) Dec 13, 2013 - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday nuclear talks between world powers and Iran were expected to resume soon, after Tehran said it was quitting the negotiations. "We're making progress, but I think we're at a point in those talks where folks feel a need to consult, take a moment," Kerry told reporters in Tel Aviv. "There is every expectation that talks are going to continue in the next few days," he said of the talks. Iran on Friday accused Washington of going against the spirit of a landmark interim agreement reached last month by expanding its sanctions blacklist and quit implementation talks. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said both sides had headed home for consultations. Under the interim deal, Iran agreed to freeze parts of its suspect nuclear programme for six months in return for some $7 billion in relief from Western sanctions as it negotiates a final, comprehensive accord to allay suspicions it seeks a weapons capability. Kerry said he had spoken with Ashton and said he expected "we will proceed to the full implementation of that plan." "This is sort of the normal part of the process in developing the implementation plan," he said of the breach in talks. Kerry remarks were delivered as he was leaving for Asia, after a series of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on their troubled peace process. Iran has quit nuclear talks with world powers, accusing Washington on Friday of going against the spirit of a landmark agreement reached last month by expanding its sanctions blacklist. US Secretary of State John Kerry and a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the major powers in the talks, both played down the suspension and said talks were expected to resume soon. But Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said the US move went against the spirit of the deal struck in Geneva under which the powers undertook to impose no further sanctions for six months. Tehran was now weighing the "appropriate response", he said. "America's move is against the spirit of the Geneva deal," Araqchi told the Fars news agency as his team headed back to Tehran from Vienna. "We are evaluating the situation and will make the appropriate response. "Such a measure is by no means constructive and we are seriously critical of it," Araqchi later said on state television. Under the deal, Iran agreed to freeze parts of its suspect nuclear programme for six months in return for some $7 billion in relief from Western sanctions as it negotiates a final, comprehensive accord to allay suspicions it seeks a weapons capability. Iranian negotiators quit the implementation talks late on their fourth day Thursday after Washington blacklisted a dozen companies and individuals for evading US sanctions. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham, quoted by state news IRNA, said: "The consequences of this unstudied move is completely on the American government." The Mehr news agency quoted informed sources as saying that the "new American sanctions" were the reason for the interruption. "The negotiations were halted by Iranian delegation because of new American sanctions. The Iranian negotiating team has halted the talks at this stage and are headed back to the capital due to America's lack of commitment to the agreement," Mehr reported. Kerry: Need to consult Kerry said it was now time for consultations. "We're making progress, but I think we're at a point in those talks where folks feel a need to consult, take a moment," the secretary of state told reporters during a visit to Israel. "There is every expectation that talks are going to continue in the next few days," he said of the talks. And a spokesman for the EU foreign policy chief also said both sides needed to return home for consultations and that Iran's move was not unilateral. "After four days of lengthy and detailed talks, reflecting the complexity of the technical issues discussed, it became clear that further work is needed," Ashton's spokesman Michael Mann said. "There will now be consultations in capitals, in the expectation that technical talks will continue soon," he added. Under Iran's deal struck with the P5+1 of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany, Washington agreed to refrain from imposing new sanctions on Iran. But senior administration officials argued that Thursday's blacklistings were carried out within the framework of the existing sanctions regime which had forced Tehran to the negotiating table and did not constitute new measures. The blacklisting of a dozen additional foreign firms and individuals for evading US sanctions was widely seen as a way to head off moves in Congress to impose additional sanctions that would be in clear breach of the Geneva agreement. Administration officials insisted the timing was entirely coincidental. But just hours afterwards, Senate banking committee chairman Tim Johnson and the committee's top Republican Michael Crapo agreed with the White House that Washington should not introduce new sanctions, warning they could "rupture" international unity against Tehran's nuclear programme. The comments virtually assured that no new sanctions legislation would pass Congress before the year-end break, although lawmakers could controversially introduce a new sanctions bill within the next week. Those blacklisted on Thursday included the Singapore-based Mid Oil Asia and Singa Tankers, both companies accused of helping Iran transfer badly needed funds to a foreign bank on behalf of the National Iranian Tanker Company. .

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