The US State Department is waiving sanctions on Iran's civilian nuclear program in a technical step necessary to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, a senior official said Friday.

The waiver allows other countries and companies to participate in Iran's civilian nuclear program without triggering US sanctions on them, in the name of promoting safety and on-proliferation.
The civilian program includes the country's increasing stockpiles of enriched uranium.
"Absent this sanctions waiver, detailed technical discussions with third parties regarding disposition of stockpiles and other activities of nonproliferation value cannot take place," the official said, insisting on anonymity.
The step came as talks to restore the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which former President Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, were at an advanced stage.