January 20, 2014

Iran has fully suspended its 20-percent enrichment of uranium, according to the country’s state TV, as the landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and the six world powers comes into force.

Uranium enrichment centrifuge cascades at the Natanz plant, have reportedly been disconnected by UN nuclear inspectors, who arrived in Iran over the weekend to supervise Iran’s compliance with the deal, struck in November 2013 between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US).

According to the agreement Iran is freezing parts of its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions by the EU and the US.

"Under the agreement, suspension of 20-percent enrichment of uranium - and the diluting of the current stockpile of enriched uranium - are the most important commitments of our country,"Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization told state radio on Sunday, according to AP.

In exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear ambitions, the US and the EU are to lift restrictions on Iranian exports of petro-chemicals. Iran will also be able to import parts for its auto manufacturing industry and trade in gold and other precious metals.

The value of sanctions relief could amount to $7 billion, according to US government estimates.

The deal will last for six months until the country and P5+1 strike a permanent agreement, supposed to bring more stability to the volatile Middle East.

Achieving that won’t be easy though, as RT’s Middle-East correspondent Paula Slier reports from Tel Aviv, the main opponent of the accord.

“What is not clear in how the US is going to maneuver its way forward,” Slier says. “It has a very fine line to walk. On the one hand you have Israel that continues to say that this was the deal with the devil. But on the other hand you have Iran, which Barack Obama is urging to come to the party, and he himself needs to show transparency and commitment while not alienating his friend Tel Aviv in the region.”

There are also threats for more sanctions coming from a group of US senators, who have been preparing legislation to enact new economic constraints in case no new deal is reached in six months.

Tehran has long been irritated by the plans voiced in the US Congress.

“Those in the United States who are pushing for more sanctions have to see what this policy has produced and whether it is worth risking. I don’t want to get engaged in a childish discussion on whether Iran is bluffing or not. They can test us,” Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif told RT’s Sophie Shevardnadze earlier in January.

http://rt.com/news/iran-nuclear-deal-activated-876/