After marathon negotiations, the United States and its international partners reached a historic framework to limit Iran’s nuclear program and keep it peaceful.
“Today, the United States — together with our allies and partners — has reached an historic understanding with Iran,” Former President Obama said at the White House on April 2, in announcing key parameters of the understanding. “I am convinced if this framework leads to a final, comprehensive deal, it will make our country, our allies, our world safer.”
Negotiators from the P5+1 countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany) reached the political understanding with Iran in Switzerland for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Talks to reach a final deal will continue until June 30.
The key points of the JCPOA:
- Enrichment: Iran will reduce by approximately two-thirds its installed centrifuges and will refrain from building any new facilities for the purpose of enriching uranium for 15 years. All excess centrifuges and enrichment infrastructure will be placed in IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)-monitored storage and will be used only as replacements for operating centrifuges and equipment.
- Inspections and Transparency: The IAEA will have regular access to all of Iran’s nuclear facilities, including Iran’s enrichment facility at Natanz and its former enrichment facility at Fordow, and will be able to use the most up-to-date, modern monitoring technologies.
- Reactors and Reprocessing: Iran will redesign and rebuild a heavy water research reactor in Arak, and ship all of its spent fuel from the reactor out of the country. It will not conduct reprocessing or reprocessing research and development on spent nuclear fuel.
- Sanctions: Iran will receive sanctions relief if it verifiably abides by its commitments. U.S. and E.U. nuclear-related sanctions will be suspended after the IAEA has verified that Iran has taken all of its key nuclear-related steps. If at any time Iran fails to fulfill its commitments, these sanctions will be brought back into place.
“Iran will face strict limitations on its program, and Iran has also agreed to the most robust and intrusive inspections and transparency regime ever negotiated for any nuclear program in history,” Obama said. “So this deal is not based on trust, it’s based on unprecedented verification.”
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