The U.S. and five world powers this week finalized a temporary agreement to halt Iran’s nuclear program, with the Islamic Republic pledging to begin destroying its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions. The parties will now have six months to negotiate a permanent deal ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful. The U.S. and its partners—China, France, Germany, Russia, and the U.K.—will loosen trade sanctions and unfreeze $4.2 billion of Iranian assets in foreign banks. Iran has pledged to stop enriching uranium beyond the “peaceful use” threshold of 5 percent and destroy or dilute existing supplies that exceed that limit.
Congressional critics of the deal, including some Senate Democrats, are pushing for legislation imposing new, harsher sanctions in six months to help ensure Iran’s compliance. President Obama said he would veto such a bill, and Iran has vowed to end negotiations if Congress passes one. “For the sake of our national security and the peace and security of the world,” said Obama, “now is the time to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
-
Critics' choice: Three takes on tavern diningFeature A second Minetta Tavern, A 1946 dining experience, and a menu with a mission
-
Film reviews: Warfare and A Minecraft MovieFeature A combat film that puts us in the thick of it and five misfits fall into a cubic-world adventure
-
What to know before lending money to family or friendsthe explainer Ensure both your relationship and your finances remain intact
-
The final fate of Flight 370feature Malaysian officials announced that radar data had proven that the missing Flight 370 “ended in the southern Indian Ocean.”
-
The airplane that vanished
feature The mystery deepened surrounding the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared one hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.
-
A drug kingpin’s capture
feature The world’s most wanted drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was captured by Mexican marines in the resort town of Mazatlán.
-
A mixed verdict in Florida
feature The trial of Michael Dunn, a white Floridian who fatally shot an unarmed black teen, came to a contentious end.
-
New Christie allegation
feature Did a top aide to the New Jersey governor tie Hurricane Sandy relief funds to the approval of a development proposal in the city of Hoboken?
-
End-of-year quiz
feature Here are 40 questions to test your knowledge of the year’s events.
-
Note to readers
feature Welcome to a special year-end issue of The Week.
-
The U.S. and Iran strike a deal
feature The administration defended an international deal with Iran over its nuclear program, as critics at home and in Israel blasted the pact as an act of appeasement.