America
What is in the Iran nuclear deal?
Washington April 3
The P5+1 group of world
powers led by the US have announced a "framework agreement" with Iran
limiting its nuclear programme. The agreement outlines major points to
be fleshed out in a final deal, the details of which have to be worked
out by the end of June this year.
Negotiators in Lausanne,
Switzerland, twice extended the talks past the March 31 deadline for a
framework because of deep differences between the parties.
The P5+1 group comprised the US, Britain, France, Russia, China plus Germany.
So what exactly did they finally agree to on Thursday? Here are the seven key points, as conveyed by US officials to CNN.
1. Centrifuges --
Iran
will have to reduce its total of about 19,000 centrifuges -- 10,000 of
which are still spinning today -- down to 6,104 under the deal, with
only 5,060 allowed to enrich uranium over the next 10 years. Centrifuges
are tube-shaped machines used to enrich uranium, the material necessary
for nuclear power -- and nuclear bombs.
2. Uranium enrichment --
Iran's
centrifuges will only enrich uranium to 3.67 percent -- enough for
civil use to power parts of the country, but not enough to build a
nuclear bomb. That agreement lasts 15 years. And Tehran has agreed not
to build any new uranium enrichment facilities over that period as well.
The 3.67 percent is a major decline, and it follows Iran's move to
water down its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium last year. In
addition, Iran will reduce its current stockpile of 10,000 kg of
low-enriched uranium to 300 kg for 15 years.
3. Breakout time --
The
period of time that it will take for Iran to acquire the material it
needs to make one nuclear weapon, currently assessed at two to three
months, would be extended to about one year under the deal. That
year-long breakout period will be in place for at least 10 years.
4. Fordow facility --
Iran's
Fordow nuclear reactor will stop enriching uranium for at least 15
years. It will not have fissile material at the facility, but it will be
able to keep 1,000 centrifuges there. Fordow, one of the country's
biggest reactors, is located more than 200 feet under the side of a
mountain and was hidden from the international community until the US
revealed it in 2009.
5. Research and development --
Iran
can continue its research and development on enrichment, but that work
will be limited to keeping the country to its breakout time-frame of one
year. Though Iran will be required to make changes at a number of its
facilities -- including reducing centrifuges and rebuilding a heavy
water reactor in Arak -- the country will get to maintain its current
facilities.
6. Inspections --
Iran will be required to
provide inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's
nuclear watchdog, access to all of its declared facilities so that the
agency can ensure there is no potential for military-related
developments. That includes access to Parchin, an Iranian military
facility related to its nuclear programme. Western countries have been
seeking unfettered access throughout Iran, not just declared facilities,
as Iran has previously conducted nuclear work in secret.
7. Lifting of sanctions --
The
US and the European Union will lift their nuclear-related sanctions on
the Iranian economy -- a priority for Iran -- after a UN watchdog
verifies it has taken key steps. If there are violations, the sanctions
will snap back into place.
UN sanctions will also be lifted when
Iran completes its nuclear-related steps, though some peripheral
restrictions will be contained in a new Security Council resolution.
International
reductions in purchases of Iranian oil and increased isolation of the
Middle Eastern country had squeezed its economy in recent years, and the
lifting of those sanctions could bring the country major financial
rewards.