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Iran Stops Centrifuges Following Deal

Christopher Coppock |
January 20, 2014 | 8:40 a.m. PST

Supervising Executive Producer

(via flickr)
(via flickr)
After years of negotiations and seemingly endless stalemates, a deal has finally been reached which earlier today saw Iran disconnect centrifuges used for uranium enrichment at there Natanz plant. 

As part of the deal the United States and the European Union will begin lifting some of their sanctions against the country.

Thanks to this deal, Iran will be able to resume petrochemical exports, a commodity that is worth several billion dollars to it’s economy.

Most observers are extremely happy a deal has finally been reached, none more so than Iranian officials, with the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali akbar Salehi, saying “The sanctions iceberg against Iran is finally melting.”

Former IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen, however, was slightly more skeptical, as he pointed out that Iran would only need two to three weeks to enrich enough uranium to make a nuclear weapon if they decided to abandon the deal.

SEE MORE: The Iran Nuclear Deal: Diplomacy Deserves Its Chance

This deal comes just as attempts to start another round of negotiations over the crisis in Syria have hit a major stumbling block, as the U.S. is upset about the United Nations extending an invitation to join the negotiations to Iran.

The United States is concerned that Iran does not share the wish that a transitionary government be put in place to peacefully remove Syria’s embattled president, and as such, does not want them to join the conference. 

Progress on the nuclear front has been extremely rare, however, and thus the steps that have been taken today should be cause for some optimism that negotiations can continue. 

Read the full story on the BBC and see more on The New York Times.

Reach Executive Producer Christopher Coppock here.



 

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