The fine print: What you need to know about the Iran deal
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is supported by the US, Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany, and Iran, and will be endorsed by a resolution of the United Nations Security Council.
By MICHAEL WILNERUpdated: JULY 16, 2015 17:26The Iran Deal: The biggest deal of our time?
Six world powers have just signed an historic nuclear agreement with Iran. Here’s what you need to know:• The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is supported by the US, Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany, and Iran, and will be endorsed by a resolution of the United Nations Security Council within the coming weeks.• The deal requires Iran to cut its stockpile of enriched uranium dramatically, and caps further enrichment of uranium for 10 years.• Iran is allowed to continue enriching uranium only at a low level, under IAEA safeguard, and by a reduced number of 5,060, 1970s-era centrifuges over 10 years.What does the Iran nuclear deal mean for Israel?• Iran will be allowed to continue research and development into more efficient centrifuge models.• Access for inspectors will not be “anytime, anywhere,” but Iran has agreed to “generally allow” the IAEA the access it seeks to sites across the country.• If Iran objects to an IAEA request, a 24-day sanctions countdown starts, subject to an independent commission for final say.• Iran will receive immediate sanctions relief upon the conclusion of an initial phase of the agreement, before the deal goes “live” with full implementation.• In the initial phase, Iran will have to disconnect many of its centrifuges and neuter its plutonium heavy-water reactor, which provides it with a second path to a nuclear bomb.• The IAEA will be using state-of-the- art technologies to monitor Iran’s declared nuclear activities.
• The IAEA will be able to monitor Iran’s raw mines, refinement facilities, and storage sites.• Iran will be allowed to build additional nuclear facilities, but not any new enrichment facilities.• Iran has agreed to abide by the IAEA’s Additional Protocol, which is a permanent and legal move that requires Iran to abide by a stricter inspections regime than non-signatories.• Iran has agreed to a “road map” for the IAEA to answer longstanding questions over past and present military dimensions to its nuclear program.• Iran will receive roughly $100 billion in frozen assets overseas immediately after adoption of a Security Council JCPOA resolution.• The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act requires the US Congress to review and oversee the progress of the JCPOA. US President Barack Obama has threat ened to veto any congressional move to block the agreement.