The Nuclear threat of Iran
The talks over Iran's nuclear program have centered on a few main elements:
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Source: Institute for Security and International Studies; Bipartisan Center; USA TODAY research
Reporting by Oren Dorell, graphic by Janet Loehrke and Denny Gainer, USA TODAY
Editors, USA TODAY 7:26 p.m. EST November 24, 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives at London's Stansted Airport on Nov. 24, 2013.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster, AP)
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The deal reached with world powers and Iran over the Islamic republic's nuclear program is cast by supporters as a historic treaty, while critics, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, call it a "historic mistake."
How both sides see the deal:
The Good:
• It "temporarily freezes" Tehran's nuclear program.
• Iran must convert or dilute its fuel stocks that are closest to weapons grade, lengthening the breakout time Iran would need to make fissile material for a nuclear bomb.
• The West has not recognized Iran's self-claimed "right" to enrich uranium.
• The deal paves the way for more negotiations to further curtail Iran's nuclear activity and other issues such as its sponsoring of terror.
• Iran vows not to operate its planned plutonium reactor for six months.
• The agreement allows for more "intrusive" U.N. nuclear inspections in Iran.
The Bad:
• Enrichment is capped but not frozen or rolled back, leaving Iran close to a breakout for a bomb.
• The deal allows Iran to claim the West has accepted its "right" to enrich uranium.
• Uranium enrichment capabilities are not dismantled, as had been demanded by U.N. resolutions.
• The agreement eases sanctions that cannot be reversed easily because of the difficulty in getting competing nations to agree.
• Iran's plutonium reactor will not be operational for at least a one year, so suspending operation for six months is meaningless.
The Ugly:
• The deal legitimizes Iran's status as a nuclear threshold state, which could set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
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The talks over Iran's nuclear program have centered on a few main elements:
Sponsored by
- 1
Mining uranium
- 2
Percent effort
- 3
Centrifuges
- 4
Reactor
- 5
Iran's nuclear sites
Source: Institute for Security and International Studies; Bipartisan Center; USA TODAY research
Reporting by Oren Dorell, graphic by Janet Loehrke and Denny Gainer, USA TODAY
Editors, USA TODAY 7:26 p.m. EST November 24, 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives at London's Stansted Airport on Nov. 24, 2013.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster, AP)
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The deal reached with world powers and Iran over the Islamic republic's nuclear program is cast by supporters as a historic treaty, while critics, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, call it a "historic mistake."
How both sides see the deal:
The Good:
• It "temporarily freezes" Tehran's nuclear program.
• Iran must convert or dilute its fuel stocks that are closest to weapons grade, lengthening the breakout time Iran would need to make fissile material for a nuclear bomb.
• The West has not recognized Iran's self-claimed "right" to enrich uranium.
• The deal paves the way for more negotiations to further curtail Iran's nuclear activity and other issues such as its sponsoring of terror.
• Iran vows not to operate its planned plutonium reactor for six months.
• The agreement allows for more "intrusive" U.N. nuclear inspections in Iran.
The Bad:
• Enrichment is capped but not frozen or rolled back, leaving Iran close to a breakout for a bomb.
• The deal allows Iran to claim the West has accepted its "right" to enrich uranium.
• Uranium enrichment capabilities are not dismantled, as had been demanded by U.N. resolutions.
• The agreement eases sanctions that cannot be reversed easily because of the difficulty in getting competing nations to agree.
• Iran's plutonium reactor will not be operational for at least a one year, so suspending operation for six months is meaningless.
The Ugly:
• The deal legitimizes Iran's status as a nuclear threshold state, which could set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
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