Iran has fully suspended its 20-percent enrichment of
uranium, according to the country’s state TV, as the landmark nuclear
deal between Tehran and the six world powers comes into force.
Uranium enrichment centrifuge cascades at the Natanz plant, have
reportedly been disconnected by UN nuclear inspectors, who
arrived in Iran over the weekend to supervise Iran’s compliance
with the deal, struck in November 2013 between Tehran and the
so-called P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the
US).
According to the agreement Iran is freezing parts of its nuclear
program in exchange for the easing of sanctions by the EU and the
US.
"Under the agreement, suspension of 20-percent enrichment of
uranium - and the diluting of the current stockpile of enriched
uranium - are the most important commitments of our
country," Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman of Iran's Atomic
Energy Organization told state radio on Sunday, according to AP.
In exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear ambitions, the US and
the EU are to lift restrictions on Iranian exports of
petro-chemicals. Iran will also be able to import parts for its
auto manufacturing industry and trade in gold and other precious
metals.
The value of sanctions relief could amount to $7 billion,
according to US government estimates.
The deal will last for six months until the country and P5+1
strike a permanent agreement, supposed to bring more stability to
the volatile Middle East.
Achieving that won’t be easy though, as RT’s Middle-East
correspondent Paula Slier reports from Tel Aviv, the main
opponent of the accord.
“What is not clear in how the US is going to maneuver its way
forward,” Slier says. “It has a very fine line to walk.
On the one hand you have Israel that continues to say that this
was the deal with the devil. But on the other hand you have Iran,
which Barack Obama is urging to come to the party, and he himself
needs to show transparency and commitment while not alienating
his friend Tel Aviv in the region.”
There are also threats for more sanctions coming from a group of
US senators, who have been preparing
legislation to enact new economic constraints in case no new deal
is reached in six months.
Tehran has long been irritated by the plans voiced in the US
Congress.
“Those in the United States who are pushing for more
sanctions have to see what this policy has produced and whether
it is worth risking. I don’t want to get engaged in a childish
discussion on whether Iran is bluffing or not. They can test
us,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told RT’s Sophie Shevardnadze earlier i
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