World leaders welcome Iran deal

(MENAFN- Gulf Times)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz pose for a group picture at the UN building in Vienna yesterday.



AFP/London



World leaders hailed the Iran nuclear deal yesterday with Barack Obama envisioning a “new direction” and Vladimir Putin voicing a global “huge sigh of relief”—though Israel criticised it as a “historic mistake”.

Major international powers who thrashed out the agreement with Tehran said they hoped Iran would build on the opportunity to come in from the cold.

However Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted he remained ready to order military action against Iranian nuclear sites.

US President Obama said the agreement offered a chance to reset vexed relations with Tehran.

“Every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off” he said.

“This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction. We should seize it.”

But US House Speaker John Boehner a Republican said the agreement would “embolden” Tehran and likely “fuel a nuclear arms race”.

Sealed in Vienna after a 13-year standoff the deal was reached between Tehran and the United States Russia China Britain France and Germany.

Russia’s President Putin hailed the deal as a “firm choice for stability and co-operation”.

“The world has breathed a huge sigh of relief” he said.

Putin said Moscow would “do everything in its power” to ensure the agreement worked.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the deal would “make the situation in the Middle East healthier”.

The Vienna agreement is aimed at ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear bomb in return opening up Tehran’s sanctions-stricken economy thereby potentially ending decades of bad blood with the West.

Iran has always denied Western accusations that its civil nuclear programme was a cover for acquiring nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu called the deal a “historic mistake” marked by “huge compromises”.

“We did commit to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and this commitment still stands” he added in what was seen as a thinly veiled threat of pre-emptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.

Obama lined up phone calls with leaders in Israel and Saudi Arabia who are also sceptical.

He told Netanyahu that the deal did not diminish “concerns regarding Iran’s support for terrorism and threats toward Israel” the White House said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the agreement “could serve as a vital contribution to peace and stability both in the region and beyond”.

Spain which presides over the UN Iran sanctions committee said it would ensure the proper implementation of the agreement and hoped it would facilitate Iran’s reintegration into the international community.

Nato called it a “historic breakthrough” that would strengthen global security but said it was “critical” for Tehran to comply with the terms of the accord.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the deal would help “make our world a safer place” and said Iran now had a “real opportunity” to benefit from the pact economically.

Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel now plans to visit Iran soon.

“There is great interest on the part of German industry in normalising and strengthening economic relations with Iran all the more so after today’s agreement” his ministry said.

French President Francois Hollande said “the world is making headway” urging Tehran to help world powers end the Syrian conflict.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said his key ally Iran had “achieved a historic victory”.

Egypt said it hoped the deal would “prevent an arms race in the Middle East” and help achieve “peace and stability” in the region.

Afghanistan said it welcomed efforts aimed at “strengthening of peace and stability in the region” while Pakistan said that confidence-building measures over Iran’s nuclear programme “auger well for peace and security in our region”.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the deal would boost the regional economy.

Alongside him in Ankara his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari also supported the deal and emphasised keeping “doors of dialogue open”.

The agreement must “be implemented for the region to reach stability” he added.

The United Arab Emirates said Iran could play a significant regional role if it “stops interfering in the internal affairs of countries like Iraq Syria Lebanon and Yemen”.

The UAE wants to see “a genuine desire for Iran to help extinguish fires devouring the region” namely “sectarianism extremism and terrorism” an official said.

Meanwhile the Vatican hoped the agreement would “bear fruit” which would extend beyond simply Iran’s nuclear programme.

Khamenei praises efforts of negotiators

Agencies/Tehran



Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday praised the “honest and hard endeavours” of the country’s nuclear negotiating team after a deal was struck with world powers in Vienna.

The message carrying the #IranDeal hashtag on Khamenei’s official Twitter account was his first reaction to the agreement and it came after he met President Hassan Rouhani and the cabinet at an Iftar in Tehran.

There were no other remarks about the nuclear talks from Khamenei who as Iran’s ultimate authority has the last word on all matters of state and whose influence supersedes all politicians in the Islamic Republic.

An account of last night’s meeting posted on Khamenei’s official website said Rouhani had thanked the leader for his “support and guidance to the government and the nuclear negotiating team”.

Khamenei gave Rouhani crucial political cover to pursue long and arduous talks against the interests of powerful domestic opponents.

He appeared to embrace the process only cautiously and intervened frequently laying out “red lines” in public speeches that appeared to commit negotiators to tough stances on some of the stickiest issues.

Late last month as the talks entered their final phase he said Iran would not allow inspectors to interview its nuclear scientists.  But in the end he allowed Iran’s negotiators to strike a deal that allows inspectors extensive access to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

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