Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief after lengthy negotiations.

World powers and Iran have reached a landmark deal to curb the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, after an 18-day marathon negotiations in Vienna.

The accord was announced on Tuesday by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the European Union’s policy chief Federica Mogherini in a joint statement in the Austrian capital.

“We – Iran and its interlocutors in the group of nations known as the P5+1 – have finally achieved the shared objective of turning the Iranian nuclear programme from an unnecessary crisis into a platform for cooperation on nuclear non-proliferation and beyond. The nuclear deal reached in Vienna after 12 years crisis and heavy sanctions.”
Mohammad Javad Zarif

“I believe this is a historic moment. We are reaching an agreement that is not perfect for everybody but it is what we could accomplish and it is an important achievement for all of us,”

“Today could have been the end of hope on this issue, but now we are starting a new chapter of hope.”

Mogherini said the decision demonstrated that “diplomacy, coordination, cooperation can overcome decades of tensions and confrontations”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry also praised the the agreement saying, “it is a step away from the spectre of conflict and towards the possibility of peace.”

it is a historic deal that would serve some kind of a re-set after decades of mistrust.

After years of sanctions, many Iranians said they are hopeful that the deal would usher economic recovery in the country

Iran needs billions of dollars of investment and meaningful economic gains are likely to take many months