Obama: Historic deal reached on Iran nuclear program

US President Barack Obama called the preliminary agreement reached in Switzerland a “historic understanding” that would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, while getting relief from international sanctions.

Speaking at the White House, Obama called this deal “good for the security of the United States” and the rest of the world.

“Sanctions alone could not stop Iran’s nuclear program, but they did help bring Iran to the negotiating table,” said Obama.

The American President said the deal is much better than another war in the Middle East. However he noted that the relations between Washington and Tehran remain tense.

He warned the Congress that if the deal doesn’t go through, US would be blamed for the “collapse of the diplomacy.”

According to the announcements by Mogherini and the Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif, the deal envisions Iran operating only one uranium enrichment facility. The Natanz facility will be scaled down to 5000 centrifuges.

The fortified facility at Fordo will be converted to a nuclear physics and technology research center, while the reactor at Arak will be redesigned as a heavy-water research reactor and will not produce weapons-grade plutonium. Spent fuel from the reactor will be exported.

All financial sanctions will be lifted immediately, while the US and the EU both pledged to lift other sanctions they had imposed as soon as the IAEA verifies Iran is in compliance with the agreement. Previously Washington has said the sanctions would be lifted after “years” of Iranian compliance.

RT

Ibrahim Zaaboub