Reasons to Be Skeptical About the New Iran Deal

To the surprise of no one, Iran has struck a deal with Brazil and Turkey to remove 1200 kg of low enriched uranium to Turkey, as a means of avoiding sanctions. Very few people believe, however, that the deal means anything more than sanctions-avoidance. Laura Rozen describes some of the technical shortcomings of the deal here; David Albright, the former weapons inspector, writes that the widespread skepticism that has greeted the Brazilian-brokered deal is justified:

The news this morning that Iran had agreed in principle (the text of the agreement published by the Guardian notes that Iran will inform the IAEA of its official agreement to the deal within seven days) to send 1200 kg of its low enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey has been greeted skeptically by the European Union, the United States, and others concerned that this declaration is merely an attempt to delay the imposition of U.N. Security Council sanctions.  The Security Council is debating these sanctions as a result of Iran's continuing defiance of calls to halt its enrichment of uranium and accept adequate IAEA inspections.  Thus, while clarifications should be sought, this declaration provides no reason to stop negotiating in the Security Council the imposition of sanctions on Iran.