Iran, P5+1 announce implementation of nuclear deal

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif and European Union (EU) foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini issued a joint statement, announcing the start of the implementation of the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the six world powers in July, according to Iran's foreign ministry website.

Now, Iran will start implementing its obligations pertaining to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the UN nuclear watchdog will prepare the means to monitor Iran's measures, Xinhua reported, citing the statement issued on Sunday.

According to the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers reached on July 14 in the Austrian capital of Vienna, Iran would improve the transparency of its nuclear plan, downsize its capacity for uranium enrichment and do changes in the structure of its heavy water reactor in exchange for international and Western sanctions relief.

Based on the agreement, the nuclear deal should have gone into effect on October 18, or the so-called the Adoption Day, 90 days for the UN Security Council endorsed the Iranian deal.

Also on Sunday, Iran notified Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that it will provisionally apply the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement when the nuclear deal comes into effect, the IAEA announced in a statement.

In Washington, US President Barack Obama on Sunday ordered his administration to take steps to lift sanctions on Iran, as part of the nuclear agreement.

"I hereby direct you to take all necessary steps to give effect to the US commitments with respect to sanctions" on Iran, Obama said in a memorandum to US secretaries of state, energy, commerce and the treasury.

The steps will take effect upon confirmation by the secretary of state that Iran has met its commitments under the JCPOA, Obama said in the memorandum issued by the White House.

But the sanction on Iran will not be lifted immediately on the Adoption Day, and the US said that no relief from the sanctions will take place until the IAEA verifies that Iran has fully complied with the terms of the agreement.

On July 14, Iran reached the JCPOA with P5+1 over its controversial nuclear programme after more than 18 months of marathon talks.

Under the deal, all of the nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran will be lifted if the Islamic republic is proved to abide by the deal over the next 10 years step-by-step.