Making History…

Today in Vienna, diplomats struck a historic deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. In what is obviously the most significant diplomatic exchange between the United States and Iran since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Iran agreed to the continuation of the U.N. arms embargo for up to five more years and restrictions on the transfer of ballistic missile technology to Iran for up to eight years. U.N. inspectors will be allowed to press for visits to Iranian military sites, though access will not be guaranteed. While much progress has been made so far, negotiations will continue in the weeks and months ahead. Either way, today, there’s plenty to celebrate–diplomacy (for now) has won. In the words of Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif: “I believe this is a historic moment. We are reaching an agreement that is not perfect for anybody but is what we could accomplish. Today could have been the end of hope, but now we are starting a new chapter of hope.”