Tentative agreement reached between Iran and P5+1
After eight days of hard negotiation, a tentative agreement on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program has been reached. Negotiations were held between the P5+1 and Iran in Lausanne, Switzerland, to address the issue of stepping back Iran’s nuclear program. P5+1 refers to the five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France – as well as Germany. The P5+1, as well as many other states, perceived Iran’s nuclear program as a grave threat to national security.
President Obama referred to the deal as “a historic understanding with Iran, which, if fully implemented” will prevent the country from obtaining nuclear weaponry. The threat of Iran obtaining nuclear weaponry has been a big issue for the international community as Iran has engaged in aggressive rhetoric targeted at their neighbors and Israel, as well as proxy wars in an attempt to gain regional supremacy over Saudi Arabia.
If implemented, the deal will work to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons while also reducing and monitoring their nuclear program. First off, Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facility at Fordo – which was built after above-ground sites became targets for Israeli bombing missions – would be converted into a physics and technology centre, and all nuclear material would be removed.
Secondly, Iran would reduce its stockpile of low-enriched Uranium by 98 per cent to 300Kg. Another facility – a heavy water reactor in Arak – would be redesigned so that it could no longer create weapons-grade plutonium. This would directly affect Iran’s “breakout timeline” – or, the time it would take for Iran to build one nuclear weapon – increasing from two or three months to a full year, due to the level of conversion and reduction in the deal.
The deal would also create a new program for monitoring all nuclear material through all stages of development to ensure its use is for energy and not weapons. Another committee would be created to examine Iran’s imports to evaluate their potential use in a nuclear program. In return, a series of UN implemented sanctions would be lifted off of Iran, allowing the country to re-enter the international market and engage in meaningful trade.
If, at any stage, Iran were suspected of breaking the deal – such as by carrying out a covert nuclear programs off site – the US would ask Iran for permission to examine the site. If Iran refused the request, the UN would intervene and decide if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has a right to examine the new site.
Though the members of the P5+1 – especially the US – are promoting this deal as a historic step in bringing Iran back into the international community and creating more security in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been extremely critical of the deal, saying that it does not go far enough to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Netanyahu suggests that the international community stay firm on their sanctions until a deal to further rollback Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and stop Iranian aggression in the region is plausible. Of course, keeping sanctions in place and taking a hard-line against any nuclear program may encourage Iran’s nuclear program to go further underground.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is also critical of the reduction of sanctions, fearing it will open up financial support for terrorist organizations. Much of Congress also seems to share Netanyahu’s concerns over the deal – so much so that they broke regular convention and side stepped President Obama by writing a letter to Iran that basically says any deal made will be undone once Obama leaves his office.
However, the deal does not need congressional approval, and any attempt to sabotage the deal –such as by Congress attempting to pass stronger sanction – could be vetoed by the President.