Iran and the six major world powers reached a six-month deal early on Sunday on how to resolve disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program after more than 4 days of intensive talks in the Swiss city of Geneva.
According to Tasnim News, “Aimed at ending a decade-long standoff, the agreement between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the six major world powers also known as P5+1) was clinched after days of tough negotiations in Switzerland.
A final text of the deal has yet to be released, but EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters at the end of talks that it included ‘reciprocal measures by both sides.’
Ashton said the negotiating sides in Geneva had agreed to a “first step” towards a comprehensive solution.
She said the deal would be coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the interim deal recognized the Islamic Republic’s right of uranium enrichment inside the country.
The deal also permits Iran to continue its nuclear activities in the nuclear facilities located in the cities of Arak, Natanz and Fordo like before, Zarif added.”
Obama will call Netanyahu amid strong opposition from Israel
“President Barack Obama plans to talk by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday about the six-month deal the United States and other world powers have reached to ease some sanctions against Iran in exchange for rollbacks in that nation’s nuclear program.
No one expects the two leaders to agree,” reports CNN.
“The first negative reaction from Israel came before dawn Sunday from Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz, a close associate of the Prime Minister.
“The current deal … is more likely to bring Iran closer to having a bomb,” Steinitz said. “Israel cannot participate in the international celebration, which is based on Iranian deception and the world self-delusion.”
But he said Israel would continue to “work with our friends and allies in the United States and the rest of world in an attempt to achieve a comprehensive solution.”
Israel denounces Iranian nuclear deal, says it will review options
According to the Jerusalem Post, “Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government denounced world powers’ nuclear agreement with Iran on Sunday as a “bad deal” to which Israel would not be bound.
Yet Israeli officials stopped short of threatening unilateral military action that could further isolate the Jewish state and imperil its bedrock alliance with Washington, saying more time was needed to assess the agreement.
‘This is a bad deal. It grants Iran exactly what it wanted – both a significant easing in sanctions and preservation of the most significant parts of its nuclear program,’ an official in Netanyahu’s office said.”
