US: Iran has addressed 'greatest' nonproliferation concerns
Iran and the P5+1 have completed a draft nuclear agreement and Iran will continue tough, nonproliferation restrictions over the next four months while negotiators try to finish a deal, the Obama administration says.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is defending its decision to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran by noting major nonproliferation achievements under an interim deal and new steps to roll back Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium.
In a fact sheet released late on July 22, the State Department summed up the results of the last six months as well as marathon talks that concluded July 18 in Vienna — two days shy of a prior deadline to reach a long-term nuclear deal. The new deadline is Nov. 24.
“It is our assessment and that of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has carried out the very significant commitments it made, and has taken steps to address the international community’s greatest concerns,” the statement said.
While a final deal remains elusive as the two sides bargain over the size of Iran’s enrichment capacity and the duration of restrictions on its civilian nuclear activities, the State Department noted that the United States, the other five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) and Iran have prepared “a draft text that covers the main issues and identifies the key areas of disagreement, and we’ve discussed in great detail all of the elements that will have to be included in any comprehensive solution.”
