UANI Calls for White House Clarification of Iran's Claim that Right to Nuclear Enrichment was Established in Geneva Agreement

New York, NY - Today, United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) called on President Obama to clarify whether the agreement announced last night between the P5+1 and Iran included a recognition of a right for Iran to enrich uranium.

 

The text of last night's interim deal states that any future agreement "would involve a mutually defined enrichment program with practical limits and transparency measures to ensure the peaceful nature of the program."

 

Today, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that "Iran's right to enrichment has been recognized," while Iranian Foreign Minister and lead negotiator Mohammad Javad Zarif said the agreement "has a very clear reference to the fact that [the] Iranian enrichment program will continue ..."

 

UANI calls on the White House to clarify its understanding concerning Iran's claim to a right of enrichment and a commitment by both Iran and the P5+1 to a final agreement that includes a "mutually defined enrichment program."

 

Said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace:

 

The White House has been adamant that no agreement would grant Iran a right to enrichment that is neither found in international law nor that has been permitted by the United Sates in treaties with key allies. The text of the interim Geneva agreement, however, declares that any final agreement with Iran will include a "mutually defined enrichment program." President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif have both declared that these terms in the Geneva agreement enshrine Iran's right to enrich uranium.

 

We call on the White House to clarify its understanding of the terms of the agreement that refer to a "mutually defined enrichment program," and to respond to the statements of President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif declaring that the Geneva agreement recognized "Iran's right to enrichment."