Iran and the White House are aligned in their demand the U.S. congress must not issue any further sanctions against the Iranian nuclear ambitions. However, the more alarming aspect is that the White House is refusing to let congress review the exact terminology of the previously announced arrangement.
Not passing proverbial sniff test….
WASHINGTON DC – Iran vowed to maintain its nuclear infrastructure and threatened to boost its uranium enrichment capabilities just hours after announcing that it had agreed to a deal to halt some aspects of its contested nuclear program.
Iran and Western nations announced on Sunday that they had agreed to an interim deal to halt portions of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for some $7 billion in sanctions relief.
Secretary of State John Kerry celebrated the interim agreement, which will officially begin on Jan. 20.
However, Iranian officials threatened to ramp up nuclear activities should they feel the West is violating the accord.
“We will in no way, never, dismantle our [nuclear] centrifuges,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the country’s state-run television station on Sunday, according to New York Times reporter Thomas Erdbrink.
“Iranians endured sanctions for 10 years, resisted, so the world would respect our right to enrichment, this is now the case,” Araqchi was quoted as saying. “This game is played in our court. We cannot lose and return to enrichment as we wish.”
Araqchi reiterated that Iran has a right to enrich uranium, one of the key sticking points in the deal, and predicted that the deal has less than a 50 percent chance of success.
“We don’t need enrichment right from the Americans, who are they to give that right?” Araqchi said. President Barack Obama “said the upcoming talks have a 50-50 percent chance of success, I say its even less.”
Iran will continue to enrich uranium, the key component in a nuclear bomb, up to 20 percent levels until right before the deal takes effect, according to Araqchi.
[…] The White House is refusing to release the official text of the nuclear deal, despite requests from reporters and members of Congress.
I urge the White House to publicly release the text of the implementation agreement with #Iran for all to review.
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) January 12, 2014
“I urge the White House to publicly release the text of the implementation agreement with #Iran for all to review,” Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) tweeted on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament vowed to boost enrichment to 60 percent, very near the levels needed for a nuclear weapon, should the U.S. Congress pass a new sanctions bill currently up for debate. (read more)
