UK government eases Iran travel warnings
[JURIST] The UK Foreign Office [official website] on Saturday loosened its travel advisory for Iran [text; press release], lifting the "essential travel only" status for most of the country. It still advises against all travel to areas along the border of Iraq and Afghanistan and other conflict areas. The advisory informs that the British embassy there was burned down so they can offer very little help but that travel is advisable if caution is taken. It encourages British citizens to use the Swedish embassy should they need assistance with emergency travel documents. The advisory urges individuals to consider where they are traveling before making decisions and to make sure to take out insurance. The easing of the advisory comes right after an international agreement on Iran's nuclear program.
The nuclear agreement was reached earlier this month after the 20-month negotiations continued through several deadlines [JURIST reports] in hopes of progress. Shortly thereafter, the UN Security Council unanimously approved [JURIST report] the deal lifting some economic sanctions. Over the past several years Iran has been subject to numerous sanctions for its contentious nuclear program. Iranian leaders have repeatedly claimed [JURIST report] that the developing nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but the international community, Israel in particular, worries that Iran's enrichment program was designed for military purposes. The US and France agreed [JURIST report] in March to strengthen nuclear talks with Iran to persuade the nation to restrain its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions and in April Iran agreed [JURIST report] to a framework deal to restrict its nuclear plan. A report obtained by the Associated Press in July from the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [official website] showed [JURIST report] that Iran has been keeping its commitment as part of a preliminary nuclear deal from 2013 barring Iran from expanding nuclear programs during negotiations.
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