Citerank: (7) 4003151. Deal blocks the four pathways to a nuclear weaponBuilding a nuclear bomb requires either uranium or plutonium. But under the terms of the July 2015 deal, Iran’s four possible ways to leverage those fissile materials are blocked. [1]109FDEF6, 400321(1) Blocks highly enriched Uranium pathways at Natanz & (2) Fordow109FDEF6, 400328(3) Blocks the weapons grade plutonium pathway at the Arak reactor109FDEF6, 400329(4) Blocks covert attempts to produce fissile materialInternational inspectors will monitor Iran's nuclear program at every single stage.109FDEF6, 4003301. What Iran’s nuclear program would look like without the dealIran has a large stockpile of enriched uranium and nearly 20,000 centrifuges, enough to create 8–10 bombs. If Iran decided to rush to make a bomb without the deal in place, it would take 2–3 months until they had enough weapon-ready uranium (or highly enriched uranium) to build their first nuclear weapon. Left unchecked, that stockpile and that number of centrifuges would grow exponentially, practically guaranteeing that Iran could create a bomb—and create one quickly—if it so chose. [1]8FFB597, 4003312. Iran's commitments under the dealThis deal removes the key elements needed to create a bomb and prolongs Iran’s breakout time from 2-3 months to 1 year or more if Iran broke its commitments. Importantly, Iran won’t garner any new sanctions relief until the IAEA confirms that Iran has followed through with its end of the deal. And should Iran violate any aspect of this deal, the U.N., U.S., and E.U. can snap the sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy back into place. [1]109FDEF6, 4003322. What Iran’s nuclear program will look like under the dealThe deal makes a significant difference to Iran's nuclear program. [1]8FFB597

The E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) and the Islamic Republic of Iran welcome this historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which will ensure that Iran’s nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful, and mark a fundamental shift in their approach to this issue. They anticipate that full implementation of this JCPOA will positively contribute to regional and international peace and security. Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.

Iran envisions that this JCPOA will allow it to move forward with an exclusively peaceful, indigenous nuclear programme, in line with scientific and economic considerations, in accordance with the JCPOA, and with a view to building confidence and encouraging international cooperation. In this context, the initial mutually determined limitations described in this JCPOA will be followed by a gradual evolution, at a reasonable pace, of Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme, including its enrichment activities, to a commercial programme for exclusively peaceful purposes, consistent with international nonproliferation norms.

The E3/EU+3 envision that the implementation of this JCPOA will progressively allow them to gain confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s programme. The JCPOA reflects mutually determined parameters, consistent with practical needs, with agreed limits on the scope of Iran’s nuclear programme, including enrichment activities and R&D. The JCPOA addresses the E3/EU+3’s concerns, including through comprehensive measures providing for transparency and verification. The JCPOA will produce the comprehensive lifting of all UN Security Council sanctions as well as multilateral and national sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear programme, including steps on access in areas of trade, technology, finance, and energy.