Iran agrees to nuclear rollback for easing of sanctions

In a path-breaking deal, Iran agreed with a group of six world powers to curb parts of its disputed nuclear programme in exchange for limited relief from Western sanctions. The deal will take effect from 20 January Tehran, and the negotiating powers said on Sunday.

US President Barack Obama welcomed the news but warned there was still a rough road ahead to clinch a comprehensive deal.

Tehran had agreed in November to roll back parts of its nuclear work and halt further advances in exchange for the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets and limited relief from sanctions that have choked its economy.

The deal was seen by western media as a major achievement for President Hassan Rouhani, who won a first-round electoral victory over a pool of conservatives last year by vowing a more diplomatic approach with the West after eight years of stalled talks and escalating sanctions under his hardline predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Both sides reached the same interpretation on how to implement the agreement and the first step will be executed from 20 January, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi was quoted by the country's IRNA news agency as saying.

Strongly backing the deal, President Obama said later on Sunday that he would veto any legislation enacting new sanctions on Iran as an agreement is reached on how to implement the deal struck in November.

In a statement released by the White House, Obama said imposing new sanctions would endanger efforts to implement the agreement.

"Unprecedented sanctions and tough diplomacy helped to bring Iran to the negotiating table, and I'm grateful to our partners in Congress who share our goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," Obama said, but added, "Imposing additional sanctions now will only risk derailing our efforts to resolve this issue peacefully, and I will veto any legislation enacting new sanctions during the negotiation."

From 20 January, Iran will for the first time start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium and dismantling some of the infrastructure that makes such enrichment possible, the White House statement said.

Western nations and Israel have long suspected Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian programme, charges that Iran has consistently denied.