[00:00.10]From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.
[00:10.74]This week, Iranian and international negotiators agreed on first steps to limit Iran's nuclear program.
[00:20.80]They also agreed to ease international economic pressure on Iran.
[00:27.41]The agreement was reached early Sunday in Switzerland.
[00:31.88]Secretary of State John Kerry described the agreement as a first step toward a possible peaceful settlement with Iran.
[00:43.11]American officials say Iran will dilute or weaken its near weapons grade uranium so it can not be used in weapons.
[00:54.01]Iran has also agreed to inspections of its nuclear centers.
[00:59.84]In exchange, the United States and other countries will ease actions meant to punish Iran for its nuclear activities.
[01:11.48]But they will continue the strongest restrictions on Iran's oil exports and banking system.
[01:20.06]The deal was delayed because of a dispute over Iran's claim to a right to enrich the metal uranium.
[01:30.01]The United States says no such right exists for any country.
[01:36.52]Different levels of enriched uranium are needed to produce nuclear power and nuclear weapons.
[01:45.15]Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif spoke to reporters after the deal was announced.
[01:53.16]"Many times, at least twice very explicitly in this text, this recognition is there that Iran will have an enrichment program.
[02:02.37]And we believe that we are right, and we are exercising that right and we only require respect for that right."
[02:09.28]The nuclear agreement has many critics.
[02:12.84]Israeli officials say it does nothing to stop Iranian efforts to build nuclear weapons.
[02:21.51]Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the deal.
[02:26.44]He said this is not a historic agreement, but a historic mistake.
[02:38.48]In Washington, President Barack Obama sought to answer concerns of Israel and American partners in the Middle East.
[02:53.84]Mr. Obama said the deal halts Iran's nuclear program for the first time in almost 10 years.
[03:04.22]He said the next step will be to negotiate a detailed and lasting solution.
[03:12.14]The president appealed to American lawmakers not to move forward with new sanctions against Iran.
[03:21.19]Senator Saxby Chambliss is a member of the Republican Party from Georgia.
[03:28.05]He objects to any easing of economic pressure against Iran.
[03:34.17]"Now is just not the time to ease sanctions when they are working."
[03:39.36]Many people are waiting to see what happens next.
[03:42.63]Ephrim Asculai was an official with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
[03:49.23]He now works at the Institute for Defense Security Studies in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
[03:57.23]He says the agreement answers many concerns over Iran's nuclear activities.
[04:04.70]But he is worried about some of the details,
[04:08.48]like whether Iran will let international inspectors visit all of its nuclear centers.
[04:15.36]Mark Fitzpatrick is with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.
[04:22.34]He says the two sides must now honor the agreement to show they can honor a deal.
[04:30.32]"Implementing it will show that they both mean what they say.
[04:34.63]It'll be very important that the two sides carry it out so that both sides can show their doubters –
[04:41.71]and both sides have real skeptics and doubters –
[04:44.64]that the other side can strike a deal and keep to it."
[04:48.20]And that's In The News, from VOA Learning English.
[04:53.03]I'm Steve Ember.