After 18 days of intense and often fractious talks, world powers have reached a historic deal with Iran on curbing Tehran’s nuclear activity in return for the lifting of international economic sanctions.
Historic deal
Negotiations between Iran and six world powers - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - began in 2006.
The breakthrough came after several key compromises from the both sides.
The agreement is, in fact, a major political victory for both U.S. President Barack Obama and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani although both of them face scepticism and pressure from powerful hardliners at home for the compromises.
US Congress will now have 60 days to review the deal. If it rejects the deal, and President Obama can veto the rejection, a two-thirds vote in Congress would be necessary to override his veto. Such a move would require some of Democrats to vote against him.
Initial Reactions
US president Barack Obama said this deal is on verification, not on trust but "every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off" for Iran.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani hailed it as a “new chapter” in Iran’s relation with the world, and tweeted that "with this unnecessary crisis resolved, new horizons emerge with a focus on shared challenges."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “historic mistake for the world.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hailed the deal, saying Russia will take an active part in practical implementation of the agreement.
According to him, two matters directly mentioned in the agreement are “the removal of low-enriched uranium to Russia in exchange for the delivery of natural uranium to Iran, and … the re-purposing of the Fordow former enrichment facility into an isotope production facility for medicinal and industrial purposes."
He also expressed his country’s hope that the US will fulfill its promise not to deploy a missile shield in Europe now because Barack Obama said in 2009 “if the Iran nuclear program issue is sorted out, the task of creating the European segment of the missile defense system will disappear”. RT
Sanctions
Economic and financial sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union and United Nations will be lifted -some as soon as the the agreement implementation starts and some gradually.
Bans or restrictions on economic cooperations with Iran will be lifted in all the fields including investment on oil and gas.
A three-decade bans on Iran’s aviation will be lifted, bans on Iran’s central bank, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), Iran Air and many other institutions and people will be lifted.
Bans to buy certain dual-use machinery and technology will also end.
A US official said that UN Security Council sanctions could be reimposed on Iran within 65 days in the event of Iranian noncompliance with the deal.
UN resolution
UN Security Council resolution expected “within days”, according to French foreign minister Laurent Fabius
Inspections
Iran has accepted allowing the UN atomic watchdog tightly controlled “managed access” to military bases, an Iranian official said.
“Our military sites are not open to visitors since every country has the right to protect its secrets... However Iran will apply the Addition Protocol (to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) and on this basis allow managed access,” the official said.
UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency could get access to suspect nuclear sites in Iran within 24 days, the text of the Iran nuclear agreement said.
Uranium enrichment
Iran confirms uranium centrifuges to be cut by two-thirds for 10 years. Iran will continue to conduct enrichment research and development in a manner that does not accumulate enriched uranium. Iran’s enrichment research and development with uranium for 10 years will only include IR-4, IR-5, IR-6 and IR-8 advanced centrifuges.
Russia will take an active part in practical activities which are aimed at realization of the nuclear agreement with Tehran reached on Tuesday, Lavrov said, which concerns two issues directly mentioned in the documents.
They are “the removal of low-enriched uranium to Russia in exchange for the delivery of natural uranium to Iran, and … the re-purposing of the Fordow former enrichment facility into an isotope production facility for medicinal and industrial purposes," RT quoted Russian FM as saying.
Unfreezing assets
Iran would get access to more than $100 billion in frozen assets when the agreement is implemented, US officials said.
Arms embargo
The international arms embargo against Iran will remain for five years under the deal, but deliveries would be possible on a case-by-case basis with special permission of the UN Security Council, according to Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
Agencies
