Vienna--Three weeks ago, Iranians celebrated on the streets after a framework nuclear deal with world powers was announced. But on Wednesday in Vienna, the hard work of finalising the accord by a June 30 deadline was set to begin.
Following a marathon of negotiations in Switzerland, Iran agreed on April 2 to what US President Barack Obama called a "historic understanding... which, if fully implemented, will prevent (Iran) from obtaining a nuclear weapon."
This will include Iran dramatically scaling back its nuclear activities and submitting those that remain to what Obama described the "most robust and intrusive inspections and transparency regime ever negotiated".
In return, the United States and five other major powers committed to lift certain sanctions that have caused the Islamic republic of 75 million people major economic pain by strangling its oil exports and financial system.
The accord, if completed and implemented, would draw to a close a crisis that has been steadily and dangerously escalating since Iran's nuclear programme was first revealed some 12 years ago.
It could even potentially push "axis of evil" Iran and the "Great Satan" US towards better relations after 35 years of bitter acrimony -- and at a particularly volatile time in the Middle East.
"With courageous leadership and the audacity to make the right decisions, we can and should put this manufactured crisis to rest and move on to much more important work," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in New York Times op-ed published Monday.
AFP
