Iran, world powers reach landmark nuclear agreement

The United States and other world powers reached a historic agreement with Iran on Tuesday that calls for limits on Tehran’s nuclear program in return for lifting economic sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.

“Every path to a nuclear weapon has been cut off,” President Obama declared in Washington. Addressing critics in Congress and Israel who say Iran can’t be trusted to honor the agreement, Obama said the deal is not just built on trust but “on verification.”

The deal will keep Iran from producing enough material for an atomic weapon for at least 10 years and impose provisions for inspections of Iranian facilities, including military sites.

In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani heralded “a new chapter” in relations with the world community. The agreement marks the first time the two countries have engaged in direct and open diplomacy in more than a generation.

The Republican-run Congress, where many question whether Iran will live up to its commitments, has 60 days to review the agreement and could issue a resolution of disapproval.

Congressional leaders remained skeptical of the deal and promised to scrutinize it closely, while many Republican presidential candidates blasted it. “My initial impression is that this deal is far worse than I ever dreamed it could be,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., to Bloomberg News. He called it a “nightmare” for Israel, the Middle East and the world.

Obama, however, vowed to veto any congressional move to block the agreement, saying that “I am confident that this deal will meet the national security interests of the United States and our allies.”

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assailed the deal, calling it a “mistake of historic proportions.” Israel fears that Iran will still find a way to acquire a nuclear weapon and threaten Israel’s security.

The Iranian government insists its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and Obama said the deal will make sure of that.

Obama is expected to make calls to other world leaders in the coming days about the Iran nuclear agreement — including Netanyahu.

The deal was formally announced at a news conference in Vienna, where negotiators have spent weeks nailing down final details. Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s top foreign affairs official, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad, Javad Zarif, said, “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons,” according to a joint statement by the two officials.

Mogherini and Zarif said the agreement will result in the lifting of all United Nations Security Council sanctions and multilateral and national sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program. The agreement calls for the sanctions to be lifted in phases as Iran meets terms of the deal.

The agreement respects the interests of all sides, they said. The text will be presented to the Security Council in the next few days for endorsement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the agreement, saying: “The world can breathe a sigh of relief.”

The United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia — the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — plus Germany have held nuclear negotiations with Iran for over a decade, but the talks have progressed unevenly and at times stalled.

European Council President Donald Tusk said the “breakthrough” deal brought an end to a 13-year standoff.

“If fully implemented, the agreement could be a turning point in relations between Iran and the international community, paving the way to new avenues of cooperation between the EU and Iran,” he said. “Geopolitically, it has the potential to be a game changer.”

Oil prices dropped around 2% Tuesday as news of the deal broke, but then rose again. Once oil-rich Iran is permitted to sell on world markets, it would do so at a time when crude prices have been under pressure because of a global supply glut.

Contributing: Kim Hjelmgaard and David Jackson

En: USAtoday