A big gap to close

摘要

After several weeks of unexpectedly hard and often tetchy bargaining, six world powers and Iran reached an agreement on January 12th that sets out the details of a "joint plan of action" (jpa) to freeze Iran's nuclear programme for six months. The implementation of the jpa, originally negotiated in November, will begin on January 20th. Verification that Iran is sticking to its side of the interim deal will come from the un's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) through stepped-up inspections and monitoring. In return, Iran will begin to receive, in monthly instalments, some $4.2 billion in seized assets held in Western banks; some minor financial sanctions will also be suspended. However, the clock is now ticking on efforts to achieve a comprehensive long-term pact. Even supporters of the interim deal rate the chances of success as low.