Important update, The New York Times has some vague details of the emerging deal:
After marathon talks that finally ended early Sunday morning, the United States and five other world powers reached an agreement with Iran to halt much of Iran’s nuclear program, and some elements would even be rolled back. It was the first time in nearly a decade, American officials said, that steps were taken to halt much of Iran’s nuclear program and roll some elements of it back.
The freeze would last six months, with the aim of giving international negotiators time to pursue the far more challenging task of drafting a comprehensive accord that would ratchet back much of Iran’s nuclear program and ensure that it could be used only for peaceful purposes....
According to the accord, Iran would agree to stop enriching uranium beyond 5 percent. To make good on that pledge, Iran would dismantle the links between networks of centrifuges.
All of Iran’s stockpile of uranium that has been enriched to 20 percent, a short hop to weapons-grade fuel, would be diluted or converted into oxide so that it could not be readily used for military purposes.
(h/t
citizenx)
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Obviously details are scarce at this point, but this is a pretty big fucking deal:
I'll be updating the diary with details until I got to bed. Please feel free to add any in the comments.
6:11 PM PT: In case you don't think these negotiations are a great thing (pending details), just consider who is against them:
6:14 PM PT:
6:18 PM PT: CNN has a background piece on the negotiations here:
http://www.cnn.com/...
6:31 PM PT: Apparently what had been holding up the deal during their initial talks, was Iran insisting on the "right to enrich". Presumably they've given up including that language in the deal in exchange for a temporary relief in sanctions, while they negotiate a more permanent solution in the coming months.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
6:38 PM PT: Laura Rozen, who's reporting on these negotiations is indispensable, has a blog post up:
Zarif, Ashton and P5+1 foreign ministers were heading to the Palais des Nations to the sign the deal, at approximately 3;30AM.
The press pool for US Secretary of State John Kerry departed the Intercontinental Hotel shortly before .3AM for the Palais des Nations in anticipation of a signing ceremony there.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who was thought to cause an upset by raising public objections to a draft accord at a previous round of nuclear talks here this month, gave journalists a thumbs up as he departed the Intercontinental Hotel, where the past five days of talks have mostly taken place.
6:45 PM PT: Apparently, President Obama will be making remarks about the deal tonight.
6:47 PM PT:
6:52 PM PT:
Yeah...this
Ari Fleischer.
6:58 PM PT: Some details may be starting to emerge:
7:04 PM PT:
(h/t Pam from Calif)
7:08 PM PT:
7:09 PM PT: You can watch President Obama's remarks here:
http://www.nbcnews.com/...
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8:33 PM PT: Well, that's it for me. Have a good night.