Final Iran nuclear deal will reportedly be unveiled Tuesday morning

On Tuesday morning, Iran and the six world powers it is negotiating with will publicly announce the long-awaited final draft of a deal limiting Iran's nuclear program, according to unidentified Western diplomats. The deal, to be unveiled at 4 a.m. ET according to Iran's Fars news agency, is being held up by final negotiations on how soon and comprehensively to end United Nations Security Council embargoes on arms sales to and from Iran. Tehran has been working on the deal with the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany for 20 months.

The 100-page agreement would reportedly give United Nations inspectors the right to visit Iranian military sites and interview nuclear scientists, if a panel of the six world powers approves contested requests, and Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will have to issue a report on Iran's alleged past attempts to develop nuclear weapons by the end of 2015. If Tehran cooperates, some sanctions relief will follow in 2016, a diplomat tells Reuters.

UPDATE: The deal was finalized early Tuesday, Western and Iranian diplomats tell multiple news outlets. "All the hard work has paid off and we sealed a deal," one Iranian diplomat tells Reuters. "God bless our people." Iran's foreign minister and other officials will read a statement after a high-level meeting of all seven negotiating parties at 10:30 a.m. in Geneva (4:30 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast). The historic agreement — a political deal, not a legally binding treaty — will be put to a tough vote in the U.S. Congress, but "Obama's chances of ultimately prevailing are considered high," The New York Times notes, citing Obama's veto power.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up