Irans higher grade uranium stockpile falls after nuclear deal IAEA -...

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Iran's higher-grade uranium stockpile has declined significantly for the first time in four years after it stopped the enrichment activity under a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers, a U.N. atomic agency report showed on Thursday.

The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also indicated that Iran was meeting its commitments under the Nov. 24 agreement with the powers to curb its most sensitive atomic activity in exchange for some sanctions easing.

This comes as a U.S. official said a unilateral U.S. oil embargo on Iran is expected to remain in place even if a long-term nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers is reached that includes an easing of international sanctions.

The embargo pre-dates the decade-long nuclear dispute with Iran. Washington cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran during a hostage crisis shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution and began imposing sanctions on the Iranian government around the same time.

"The American domestic oil embargo is expected to remain in place even if a comprehensive agreement is reached," the U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Also on Thursday, a senior US official said the United States would like to see all sanctions on Iran lifted but that can only happen "in total" after a comprehensive deal on Tehran's nuclear program is reached.

The official, speaking after Iran and six world powers agreed a framework for negotiations on the nuclear dispute in coming months, also said that Washington wants "companies to be mindful and thoughtful about what they're doing", when asked about Western firms interested in doing business now with Iran.

Most US and other sanctions on Iran remain in place after a limited easing that took place under an interim agreement reached between Iran and six world powers in November, the US official told reporters.

In turn, the European Union's foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton will travel to Tehran on March 9-10, ahead of the next round of nuclear talks with Iran, a Western diplomat said on Thursday.

Iran and six world powers, represented by Ashton, held the first round of talks in pursuit of a final settlement in their decade-old dispute on Tehran's contested nuclear program in Vienna this week.

Iran and six world powers have agreed on an agenda for negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program and will meet again next month in Vienna, a senior Iranian official said after two days of talks in the Austrian capital.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the official IRNA news agency: "The involved parties have agreed on an agenda and a framework and the next round of talks will be in the second half of March in Vienna."

REUTERS

Iran's higher-grade uranium stockpile falls after nuclear deal-IAEA