Picture source: Atta Kenare, AFP/Getty Images
By: Ivan Baric
“The world has acknowledged Iran is pursuing its peaceful objectives,” said Hassan Rouhani, Iranian President, stating that Iran will keep its promises if the other side does too. Rouhani stated that he is happy that it is finally acknowledged that Iran is pursuing nuclear energy’s peaceful objectives.
The Iranian president considers this deal a “historic” event that will be written in the “memory of the Iranian people.”
He added that the importance of the deal lies in the fact that it legitimizes Iran’s nuclear program before the international community. “And before June 30 we have to make the most important step on the conclusion of the final agreement,” he said.
This agreement will be some kind of a rolemodel for a future comprehensive nuclear agreement between Iran and the six powers, to be concluded by a June 30 deadline.
The agreement would see Iran enriching uranium to 3.67 percent, which enables the creation of nuclear energy, but is not enough to build nuclear weapons. Iran would be obliged to cut its centrifuges from 19,000 to 6,104, with 5,060 for enrichment.
Iran would also cut the amount of uranium stockpiles it keeps from 10,000 kilograms to just 300 kilograms and increase transparency with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by providing access to all nuclear facilities in the country.
The Fordow facility would be converted into a nuclear physics center and would contain no fissile material. The heavy water research reactor in Arak would be redesigned so it can’t produce weapons grade plutonium.
It was also agreed that the Natantz facility would remain the only uranium enrichment complex in the country and there will be no reprocessing of uranium. The spent fuel will be exported.