Lengthy negotiations in Vienna have culminated in an historic deal between Iran and world powers. As part of the comprehensive, 80-page deal, Tehran will curb its nuclear programme in exchange for the easing of destructive economic sanctions, implemented by the US following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and by the UN Security Council in 2006. Specifically, Iran’s nuclear production will be limited for ten years, and access to nuclear fuel and equipment will be limited for fifteen years. In response, Iran will benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars in sanctions relief. Sanctions will not be lifted until Iran offers evidence to the International Atomic Energy Agency that it has complied with the terms of the deal. Negotiations have been taking place between the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, but with staunch opposition from close US allies, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia. Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif expressed hope that the deal could bring about a “new chapter of hope” in Western-Iranian relations. “We are reaching an agreement that is not perfect for anybody but it is what we could accomplish and it is an important achievement for…
