Iran nuclear deal takes big step forward

Washington: Iran and six world powers took a significant and hard-won step toward nuclear rapprochement on Sunday, announcing a deal to implement a landmark agreement that caps Iran’s disputed nuclear programme in return for a modest easing of crippling economic sanctions.

The announcement follows up on the breakthrough agreement reached in Geneva late last year after a decade of rising animosity and suspicion between Iran and much of the rest of the world over the country’s advanced nuclear development.

The six-month agreement halts the most worrisome nuclear work and rolls back some of Iran’s sophisticated advances, but it stops far short of ensuring that the country can never develop a weapon if it chooses to do so.

The weeks of bargaining to put the November agreement in force were more difficult than anticipated, with one brief walkout by Iranian envoys and rancour among the bloc of nations that negotiated the deal.

Russia and China, long Iran’s protectors at the United Nations, pushed the US to accept technical concessions that further make clear that Iran will retain the ability to enrich uranium, a key Iranian demand, once a final set of restrictions on its programme is approved.

The Obama administration has preferred to blur that point in public, while arguing in private that the enrichment will be a face-saving token that does not pose a threat.

President Barack Obama welcomed the technical agreement, which will take effect January 20, but he said a full, permanent deal will require further hard bargaining.

That negotiation will take place even as the Obama administration appears likely to lose a fight to stop Congress from approving additional economic penalties on Iran.

The White House argued again Sunday that the imposition of further sanctions could ruin what might be the world’s best chance to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem.

“Unprecedented sanctions and tough diplomacy helped to bring Iran to the negotiating table,” Obama said in a statement. “Imposing additional sanctions now will only risk derailing our efforts.”

The president stressed that he would veto any legislation enacting new sanctions.

Congressional backers of additional sanctions argue that the threat of such measures would strengthen Obama’s hand in the difficult talks ahead.

Republicans, in particular, accuse the White House of being cowed by what may be an Iranian bluff to walk away if new sanctions are approved. The White House, however, argues that although sanctions forced Iran to the table, the strategy has run its course.

Khamenei, who is likely to make the final decision about developing any nuclear weapon, has given Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif greater license than many in the West had expected in reaching a deal.

That includes a concession by Iran to stop enriching uranium to 20 per cent potency, a level considered within striking distance of bomb-quality fuel. The existing stockpile of 20 per cent fuel would be degraded over the six-month period of talks.