The Nuclear Talks With Iran, Explained
By David E. Sanger, Sergio Peçanha and Karen Zraick
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weapons-related activities
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key players
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medical purposes
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stockpiles
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enriching of uranium
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international sanctions
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nuclear fuel
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a nuclear weapon
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negotiating partners
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global financial markets
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peaceful nuclear enrichment capability
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the complete dismantling
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The deadline to finalize the outline of an agreement is the end of March. Here’s what’s at stake for each of the (1) and what an agreement might look like.
What the West Wants
“We want to recognize the main goal here is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. And on that, Israel and the United States agree.” John Kerry – United States Secretary of State
The United States and its (2) want rigorous inspections, limits on the number of centrifuges with which Iran can enrich uranium, and the removal of most of Tehran’s (3) of existing fuel. President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry insist on limits that would prevent Iran, should it break an agreement, from producing enough fuel for (4) within a year.
What Iran Wants
“Our negotiating partners, particularly the Western countries and particularly the United States, must once and for all come to the understanding that sanctions and agreement don’t go together.” Mohammad Javad Zarif – Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tehran says it should be able to produce nuclear energy for power and (5) , and wants an end to sanctions that keep it from shipping oil or gaining access to (6) . The supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has said that Iran would want to build (7) when a negotiated agreement expired.
What Critics of the Deal Want
“We’ll face a much more dangerous Iran, a Middle East littered with nuclear bombs and a countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare.” Benjamin Netanyahu – Israel’s Prime Minister
Critics, including Israel, seek (8) of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, citing Tehran’s history of hiding efforts to produce nuclear fuel and pursue other (9) . They also object to any deal that would allow limits on Iran’s nuclear program to expire.
What a Deal Might Look Like
The deadline for finalizing an outline of an agreement is the end of March, and a final deal would have to be reached by June. Under an agreement, Iran’s ability to produce (10) would probably be strictly limited for at least 10 years, and restrictions would be eased gradually. Iran would ship some nuclear equipment to Russia. After the deal ends, Iran would still be subject to inspections and unable to produce bomb-grade fuel. It remains unclear whether Iran would have to answer all questions from inspectors about its suspected work on bomb designs.
What Are the Other Options?
Persistent (11) , as well as unilateral ones levied by the United States, could continue to curtail Iran’s nuclear program for a time. The U.S. has also used sophisticated cyberattacks to slow Iran’s (12) [enriching of uranium], though the effects were temporary. Some argue for “anywhere, anytime” inspections as part of a deal, but inspections are imperfect, as the U.S. has learned from Iraq to North Korea.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/03/02/world/middleeast/2015-03-02-iran.html
