A high-level commission that oversees Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers will meet in Vienna on January 10 to address a complaint by Teheran about the renewing of sanctions by the United States.

The meeting was called on Saturday by the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who coordinates follow-up of the nuclear deal for its signatories — Iran, the US, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

“The meeting will review the implementation of the agreement and discuss the issues raised in the letter (Iranian) Foreign Minister Zarif addressed on 16 December to (Mogherini),” a short statement from the EU said.

The officials will meet 10 days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has promised to tear up the nuclear deal once in the White House.

Zarif formally requested the meeting after Washington on December 2 extended the Iran Sanctions Act — which mostly seeks to limit Iran’s oil and gas trade — for another decade.

Iranian leaders, including supreme leader Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani called it a “clear violation”.

Meanwhile, Zarif could use the meeting to complain that although hundreds of European companies are desperate to resume trading with Iran, major lenders are still refusing to facilitate big transactions.

This is because Washington still has a number of non-nuclear sanctions in place that prevent anyone doing business with.

Source: AFP