Global Insights: As Interim Nuclear Deal With Iran Takes Effect, Uncertainty Remains

Global Insights: As Interim Nuclear Deal With Iran Takes Effect, Uncertainty Remains

The implementation agreement for the interim nuclear deal reached between Iran and the P5+1 in November, in which Iran consents to constrain its nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanctions relief, officially entered into effect yesterday. The text of the implementation deal, finalized Jan. 12, remains confidential. But the White House released a summary that, while answering some important questions, still leaves uncertain whether the interim deal will achieve its main purpose of transitioning to a more comprehensive agreement.

The implementation framework specifies the phasing and technical details of the reciprocal concessions the parties made in the interim agreement. These will occur gradually, with concessions by one side matched by those by the other. Iran will refrain from enriching uranium above 5 percent, which is the level used in civilian nuclear power reactors; increasing its stockpile of 5 percent enriched uranium; reprocessing spent uranium fuel into plutonium; constructing new enrichment facilities; or installing or manufacturing new centrifuges, except for replacements of damaged machines. Iran will also downblend its stocks of near-20 percent uranium into a less usable form as well as suspend construction work at the Natanz and Fordow uranium enrichment plants and the unfinished Arak heavy water reactor.

Furthermore, Iran will permit inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) more intrusive and frequent access—daily rather than weekly—to its enrichment facilities as well as, for the first time, allow access to its centrifuge assembly and rotor production plants. Iran will also provide more data to the IAEA on the design of its Arak reactor, its centrifuge production and its future nuclear activities. As a result, the general nature of the Iranian nuclear program will become more transparent.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review