Iran nuclear accord ‘a major step in right direction’

Former US President Jimmy Carter signs his new Book "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety" at Barnes & Noble on 5th avenue in New York on July 7, 2015. (AFP photo)

Former US President Jimmy Carter has hailed the conclusion of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries as "a major step in the right direction."

"I think it's a very wonderful agreement, and I have complete confidence in [US Secretary of State] John Kerry to negotiate a binding agreement where a violation will be detected," Carter said on Wednesday.

Carter, the 90-year-old Democrat who was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, said he received a White House briefing on Tuesday to discuss details of the agreement.

After 18 days of marathon talks in Vienna on Tuesday, Iran and the P5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany - reached a conclusion on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which will put limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The 159-page agreement will be presented to the UN Security Council, which will adopt a resolution in seven to 10 days making the JCPOA an official document.

Senior diplomats from Iran and the P5+1 attend a last plenary session at the United Nations building in Vienna, Austria, July 14, 2015. (AFP photo)

The US Congress now has 60 days to review the text and vote to either approve or disapprove of it. President Barack Obama  said on Tuesday that he would veto any legislation from lawmakers that "prevents the successful implementation of the deal."

According to the JCPOA text, Iran will be recognized by the United Nations as a nuclear power and will continue its uranium enrichment program.

On Wednesday, Obama defended the outcome of nuclear talks with Iran, saying the historic accord was the only possibility to avert a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and reduce the chances of war.

 


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