After decades of tensions, years of negotiations and months of work
to implement the international nuclear deal reached six months ago,
Iran has fulfilled its promises, the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) said.
The State Department confirmed moments later that the nuclear deal is now implemented.
The milestone to fully implement the nuclear accord comes despite heated opposition on Capitol Hill and around the country.
Prominent
critics fear that the agreement has only emboldened Iran, by giving its
hardline leaders tens of billions of dollars in sanctions relief in
exchange for temporary commitments that can easily be broken.
Hours
earlier Saturday, Iranian officials announced that four American
prisoners held in Iran — including a Washington Post reporter and a
Christian pastor — would be freed, in exchange for six unidentified prisoners in the U.S.
Ahead
of the announcement Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to
Vienna, which served as the scene of intense diplomatic negotiations
one year ago.
President Obama has hailed the accord as one of the pillars of his presidency, despite broad skepticism from around the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment