이란과 주요 6개국(유엔 안전보장이사회 5개 상임이사국+독일)이 13년 만에 역사적인 이란 핵협상을 최종 타결했다.
로이터통신은 14일(현지시간) 익명의 이란 외교관이 "힘들었던 모든 노력들이 성공을 거뒀고 협상에 타결했다"고 말했다고 보도했다.
타스통신도 유럽 외교관계자를 인용해 "모든 쟁점에서 합의가 이뤄졌다. 곧 양 측이 결과를 발표할 것"이라고 전했다.
양측은 현지시간 오전 10시 30분(한국시간 오후 5시 30분)에 전체회의를 개최하 게 되며 회의가 성공적으로 마무리되면 곧 이어 현지시간 오전 11시에 합의 서명식 을 갖게 된다.
협상 관계자들은 이후 공식 기자회견을 통해 협상 결과를 발표할 예정이다. (연합)
<관련 영문 기사>
Nuke deal shows U.S.-Iran compromise
A landmark Iran nuclear agreement was reached today after clearing final obstacles, and a senior diplomat said it included a compromise between Washington and Tehran that would allow U.N. inspectors to press for visits to Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring duties.
But access at will to any site would not necessarily be granted and even if so, could be delayed, a condition that critics of the deal are sure to seize on as possibly giving Tehran time to cover any sign of non-compliance with its commitments.
Under the deal, Tehran would have the right to challenge the U.N request and an arbitration board composed of Iran and the six world powers that negotiated with it would have to decide on the issue.
Still, such an arrangement would be a notable departure from assertions by top Iranian officials that their country would never allow the U.N's International Atomic Energy Agency into such sites. Iran has argued that such visits by the IAEA would be a cover for spying on its military secrets.
On Tuesday morning, the European Union announced that the final plenary of Iran and the six countries negotiating with it will take place at 10:30 Vienna time, followed by a news conference. A Western diplomat said they will endorse the deal, reached in the early morning hours. He demanded anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the confidential talks.
While access is a key part of monitoring envisaged cuts on Tehran's present nuclear activities, it is also important for the IAEA as it tries to kick-start nearly a decade of stalled attempts to probe allegations that Iran worked on nuclear arms. Washington says that Iran must cooperate with the IAEA's probe as part of any overall deal before all sanctions on it are lifted.
The Iranians insist they have never worked on weapons and have turned down IAEA requests to visit sites where the agency suspects such work was going on, including Parchin, the military complex near Tehran where the agency believes explosives testing linked to setting off a nuclear charge was conducted.
Iran's acceptance in principle of access to military sites will give the agency extra authority in its attempts to go to the site and its demands — previously rejected by Tehran — to interview scientists it suspects were involved in the alleged nuclear weapons work.
Any deal will go to the U.N. Security Council, which is expected to endorse it by the end of the month, to start the mechanics of implementation — long-term, verifiable limits on Iranian nuclear programs that could be used to make weapons in exchange for an end to sanctions on the Islamic Republic. (AP)