Oren Dorell, USA TODAY Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he'll use Tuesday's speech before a joint session of Congress to speak out against an emerging nuclear deal between Iran and major powers that include the United States.
Here are five things to know about the Iran nuclear talks:
1. What are the U.S. and Iran trying to accomplish?
The United States wants to ensure Iran's nuclear program is just for peaceful civilian purposes, with enough assurances and monitoring to prevent it from producing high-grade fuel for a nuclear bomb. Iran, an oil-rich nation, says it wants to produce its own nuclear fuel for domestic energy, scientific and medical purposes. It has said it will accept certain limits to a fuel production program it considers its sovereign right, in return for the lifting of onerous international sanctions that have crippled its economy.
2. What are main sticking points to a deal?
Iran wants an industrial-scale nuclear fuel production program with 190,000 centrifuges. The U.S. wants the current number of machines —19,000 with 10,000 running — reduced to under 5,000.
The two sides also disagree on the duration of a comprehensive deal, when all sanctions would be lifted and whether Iran would be free to install as many fuel production machines as it wants. Iran has said the agreement should last fewer than 10 years, while the Obama administration has said 20. Iran wants most sanctions lifted immediately, while the U.S. wants most lifted when the deal expires.
3. Why is Netanyahu so adamantly against an emerging deal?
President Obama has pledged to never let Iran obtain nuclear weapons. But he has been willing to allow Iran to produce its own nuclear fuel through a process that can be used for civilian or military purposes. Netanyahu sees a potential Iranian nuclear weapon as an existential threat to nearby Israel, so he worries that the any deal allowing Iran to produce nuclear fuel poses the risk Iran will be able to create a secret weapons program.
4. What are the outlines of a potential deal?
Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia — appear to have agreed on the number of centrifuges Iran can operate and on a reconfigured Iranian reactor that produces less plutonium, another fuel for a bomb. They also seem to have agreed to provide international inspectors unprecedented access to Iranian nuclear sites to assure the nuclear program remains peaceful. The deal is likely to last 10 and 20 years. Some sanctions will be lifted immediately; others will be lifted later.
5. What role is Congress playing?
Congressional Democrats gave Obama a March 24 deadline to reach a framework agreement. At that point, they will join Republican colleagues to consider increasing sanctions on Iran. Those favoring tougher sanctions say they are needed to prod Iran into an acceptable accord, but Obama says they would derail the talks. Obama has asked Congress to hold off on new sanctions until after the deadline for a comprehensive agreement in June. Many in the Republican-led Congress also want a say in approving the final deal. Removing many sanctions on Iran would require a vote by Congress.
