WASHINGTON – The White House announced Sunday that Iran is scaling back its nuclear program, starting this month as it uranium stockpile is diminished.
According to the White House, Sunday’s agreement to implement the Joint Plan of Action announced in November marks the first time in a decade that the Islamic Republic of Iran has agreed to specific actions that halt progress on its nuclear program and roll back key parts of the program. Beginning January 20th, Iran will for the first time start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium and dismantling some of the infrastructure that makes such enrichment possible. Iran has agreed to limit its enrichment capability by not installing or starting up additional centrifuges or using next-generation centrifuges.
“New and more frequent inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites will allow the world to verify that Iran is keeping its commitments,” according to a release from the White House. “Taken together, these and other steps will advance our goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”
In return for Iran scaling back on its nuclear program, sanctions that have placed a stranglehold on the Islamic nation may be loosened.
President Obama gave credit to “unprecedented sanctions and tough diplomacy” to bring Iran to the negotiating table, and said he will veto any legislation enacting new sanctions during the negotiation.
