U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday pledged no more sanctions on Iran after the Islamic republic closed a first-step deal with the six major nations on its nuclear program, but acknowledged "huge challenges" ahead in talks about reaching a comprehensive agreement.
In remarks delivered at the White House, Obama hailed the deal as "an important first step toward a comprehensive solution" to Iran's nuclear program and "the most significant and tangible progress" ever made since he took office.
"For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back," he said, adding "Iran has been committed to halting certain levels of enrichment and neutralizing part of its stockpile."
According to the White House, Iran has been committed to halting enrichment above 5 percent and neutralizing its stockpile of near-20 percent uranium by means of dilution or converting.
Furthermore, Iran has been committed not to installing more centrifuges, halting work at its plutonium reactor at Arak, and allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency daily access to its enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow, the White House said.
"These are substantial limitations which will help prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon," Obama said. "Simply put, they cut off Iran's most likely paths to a bomb."
Iran has insisted on the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, saying it is for power generation and medical uses only.
The president acknowledged Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as he said "We approach these negotiations with a basic understanding: Iran, like any nation, should be able to access peaceful nuclear energy."
In return for Iran's curbing of its nuclear program, Obama said "We will refrain from imposing new sanctions, and we will allow the Iranian government access to a portion of the revenue that they have been denied through sanctions."
The relief valued at some 7 billion U.S. dollars includes suspending certain sanctions on gold and precious metals, Iran's auto sector and petrochemical exports, licensing safety-related repairs and inspections inside Iran for certain Iranian airlines, and allowing purchase of Iranian oil at its current level, according to the White House.
"This first step will create time and space over the next six months for more negotiations to fully address our comprehensive concerns about the Iranian program," Obama said. "And because of this agreement, Iran cannot use negotiations as cover to advance its program."
He acknowledged "huge challenges" ahead in reaching a comprehensive deal, but he urged Iran to seize the opportunity so that Washington and Tehran "can begin to chip away at the mistrust" between them.
He advised U.S. Congress against imposing new sanctions on Iran, warning "doing so would derail this promising first step, alienate us from our allies, and risk unraveling the coalition that enabled our sanctions to be enforced in the first place."
The president vowed to resolve differences with Iran "peacefully" rather than "rush towards conflict."
"Today, we have a real opportunity to achieve a comprehensive, peaceful settlement, and I believe we must test it," he said.
