Breaking: Iran Reaches Nuclear Deal With Britain, France, Germany, China, Russia, the EU and the US
Apparently this is a “first stage agreement,” whatever that means: French Foreign Minister: Iran Nuclear Deal Reached.
GENEVA (AP) — The French foreign minister says Iran and six world powers have reached a first-stage agreement on curbing Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Laurent Fabius gave no details as he left a meeting of foreign ministers early Sunday in a fifth day of talks.
The New York Times has some details on the deal: Deal Reached With Iran Halts Its Nuclear Program.
According to the accord, Iran would agree to stop enriching uranium beyond 5 percent. To make good on that pledge, Iran would dismantle the links between networks of centrifuges.
All of Iran’s stockpile of uranium that has been enriched to 20 percent, a short hop to weapons-grade fuel, would be diluted or converted into oxide so that it could not be readily used for military purposes.
No new centrifuges, neither old models nor newer more efficient ones, could be installed. Centrifuges that have been installed but which are not currently operating — Iran has more than 8,000 such centrifuges — could not be started up. No new enrichment facilities could be established.
The agreement, however, would not require Iran to stop enriching uranium to a level of 3.5 percent or dismantle any of its existing centrifuges.
