Iran Agrees to Nuclear Deal - Blythe Taylor

Iran Agrees to Nuclear Deal Despite Interference by Congress, Netanyahu

On April 2nd, despite the interference by the U.S. Congress and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran, the U.S., and the four other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany agree on a detailed, complete outline for the future of Iran's nuclear program. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran's minister of foreign affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, engage in marathon negotiation sessions for eight days to secure the deal. The width of the agreement exceeds expectations. The deadline to reach a final agreement is June 30, 2015.

Iran agrees to a lengthy list of concessions, including reducing the number of centrifuges spinning enriched uranium at Natanz, Iran's main nuclear facility, to 5,000 from about 19,000; not to enrich uranium over 3.67% for at least 15 years; not to build enrichment facilities for 15 years; that the enrichment site at Fordo will be converted to produce nuclear material for medical purposes for 15 years, and to allow all equipment and centrifuges not in use to be placed in storage monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA will have access to inspect all of Iran's nuclear sites.

 In addition, the length of time it will take Iran to obtain enough fissile material for one weapon will be extended to one year, up from the current 2 to 3 months. Iran agrees that the one-year break-out period will be in effect for 10 years. In exchange, the U.S. and the European Union will lift nearly all the sanctions against Iran once the final deal is signed. The sanctions have crippled Iran's economy

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/world/middleeast/obama-strongly-defends-iran-nuclear-deal.html