On 2 April in Lausanne, after months of intense negotiations, Iran and the E3+3 (France, Germany, and the UK plus
China, Russia, and the US) agreed on a framework deal for the resolution of the nuclear dispute. EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, and Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad
Javad Zarif, issued a joint statement announcing that "solutions on key parameters of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action" have been found. While differences remain on several issues, including the scope of International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections and sanctions relief, the statement has nevertheless raised hopes that a final deal
may be reached this summer.
If accomplished, an agreement would bring an end to more than a decade of tensions between Iran and the
international community. This would result in the lifting of several sanctions, which were adopted against Iran by
the United Nations, the EU, and the US. Unsurprisingly therefore, Iran's economy and in particular its energy sector
are now the subject of worldwide attention