VOA News – President Barack Obama on Wednesday will have more to say about the historic Iran nuclear deal when he holds a news conference at the White House to continue promoting the agreement. Many Republicans and some Democrats in Congress, as well as leaders such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, disagree with Obama’s assessment of the deal. He contends it will cut off all pathways Iran has to develop a nuclear weapon.
Key Points
Iran will reduce stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent to 300 kg for 15 years
Iran will reduce by two-thirds the number of centrifuges operating to enrich uranium at its main processing center
Iran is prevented from designing warheads or conducting experiments on nuclear weapons-related technology.
Arms embargo on Iran will be eased, as long as IAEA judges Iran’s nuclear program to be peaceful.
International sanctions on Iran will be lifted, enabling it to export oil.
If an international panel finds Iran is not honoring the accord, it can vote to restore sanctions.
In an interview with the New York Times, Obama said the agreement achieves the basic goal that even critics agree with that Iran should not a nuclear weapon.
“This is our best option to make sure that not just for the first 10 years, but for years afterwards, we have a verifiable inspection regime that ensures they do not obtain a nuclear weapon,” the president said. “That is worth an enormous amount in terms of our national security, and Israel’s national security and our other allies’ national security in the region. It also prevents the possibility of a nuclear arms race in the region.”
Obama said whoever is president 10 or 15 years from now will have the same ability to use military action or to impose new sanctions, but with the agreement they will also have more insight into Iran’s nuclear program and “international legitimacy” to act against any violations. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who spearheaded efforts by the so-called P5+1 group of the U.S., Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany, called the accord a “good deal.”