Switzerland on Thursday lifted several
already suspended economic sanctions against Iran, following last
month’s historic deal between Tehran and world powers on the Iranian
nuclear programme.
Citing the “important turning point in
the 12-year nuclear dispute”, the Swiss government said it had decided
to lift some sanctions against Iran that had already been suspended in
January 2014.
It decided to lift the ban on precious
metals transactions with Iranian state bodies, as well as the
requirement to report all trade in Iranian petrochemical products.
It also lifted requirements to report
the transport of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, as well as
insurance policies taken out in connection with such transactions.
Switzerland,
which has been representing US interests in Iran since Washington and
Tehran broke off diplomatic relations in 1979, said the steps should “be
seen as a sign of its support for the implementation of the nuclear
agreement and its interest in deepening bilateral relations with Iran.”
The agreement with Tehran, reached in
Vienna by the UN Security Council’s five permanent members — Britain,
China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, provides for a
progressive and conditional lifting of crippling international
sanctions, in exchange for guarantees that the Islamic republic will not
develop a nuclear bomb.
Other countries have yet to lift
sanctions against Iran, pending verification that the country is
complying with the July 14 agreement.
The Swiss government also stressed that
“the vast majority of international sanctions against Iran, including
all of the sanctions adopted by the UN Security Council, will remain in
force for the time being,” and said it would reimpose the lifted
sanctions if Iran failed to follow through on the deal.
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