Confirmation that today would be Implementation Day under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is still pending in Vienna tonight where world leaders converged in anticipation of the end of international sanctions against Iran.
The nuclear agreement will take effect when the International Atomic Energy Agency certifies that Iran has met its commitments under the deal it signed last July with six global powers, including the United States.
Secretary of State John Kerry flew from London to Vienna earlier today and immediately went into a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Zarif spoke optimistically earlier on Saturday.
“This is a good day for the Iranian people . . . and for the world,” he told Iranian media. “What is going to happen today is proof . . . that major problems in the world could be tackled through dialogue, not threats, pressures and sanctions.”
International sanctions are officially lifted as soon as the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) certifies Iran has complied with conditions defined in the JCPOA.