Goals achieved in nuclear talks: Iran

EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini(L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif read a joint statement in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 2, 2015. Top negotiators on Thursday concluded the Iran nuclear talks in Lausanne and reached common solutions to outstanding issues, a senior EU official said. [Photo: Xinhua]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif says Iran has reached its goals during the recent nuclear negotiations with the world's major powers.

Zarif says if the negotiators transform the plan into a comprehensive pact, the crippling economic sanctions the country has suffered for years will reach an end.

"According to international law, the US administration will be obliged and responsible to lift the sanctions at once. If anybody is talking about gradual lifting of sanctions, beware that they are talking against what has been agreed so far. In the past we saw that some papers were published instead of the reality."

Under the framework agreement, Iran will reduce its uranium enrichment capacity for at least a decade in exchange for phased sanctions relief.

In announcing the preliminary agreement in the Swiss city of Lausanne, European Union foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini is applauding all-involved in getting a deal done.

"Today we have taken a decisive step. We have reached solutions on key parameters of a joint comprehensive plan of action. The political determination, the goodwill and the hard work of all parties made it possible."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the framework nuclear agreement clinched by international brokers and Iran on Thursday is "good news" for the world, and has laid solid foundation for a further comprehensive agreement.

Under the deal, Iran agreed to reduce its installed centrifuges by several thousand and suspend the highest enrichment of uranium for at least 15 years and cut its stockpiled low-enriched uranium from about 10 thousand kilograms to 300 kilograms for 15 years.

In addition, Iran will allow regular access to all of its nuclear facilities for inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and agreed to redesign and rebuild a heavy water research reactor in Arak that will not produce weapons-grade plutonium.

In return, the U.S. and the European Union will suspend sanctions on Tehran, along with the lifting of all of the UN Security Council's past sanction resolutions.