VOA慢速英語(yǔ):Iran Nuclear Agreement Called a Good First Step

[00:04.66]From VOA Learning English, [00:08.47]this is In The News. [00:10.73]This week, Iranian and international negotiators [00:15.42]agreed on first steps to limit Iran's nuclear program. [00:21.14]They also agreed to ease international [00:24.70]economic pressure on Iran. [00:27.66]The agreement was reached early Sunday in Switzerland. [00:32.02]Secretary of State John Kerry [00:34.58]described the agreement as a first step [00:38.06]toward a possible peaceful settlement with Iran. [00:42.21]American officials say Iran will dilute [00:46.65]or weaken its near weapons grade uranium [00:50.50]so it can not be used in weapons. [00:54.31]Iran has also agreed to inspections of its nuclear centers. [00:59.82]In exchange, the United States and other countries [01:04.23]will ease actions meant to punish Iran [01:08.44]for its nuclear activities. [01:11.52]But they will continue the strongest restrictions [01:14.93]on Iran's oil exports and banking system. [01:20.04]The deal was delayed because of a dispute over Iran's claim [01:25.83]to a right to enrich the metal uranium. [01:30.04]The United States says no such right exists for any country. [01:36.24]Different levels of enriched uranium are needed [01:40.25]to produce nuclear power and nuclear weapons. [01:45.02]Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif [01:48.89]spoke to reporters after the deal was announced. [01:52.66]"Many times, at least twice very explicitly in this text, [01:56.73]this recognition is there [01:59.10]that Iran will have an enrichment program. [02:01.65]And we believe that we are right, [02:04.56]and we are exercising that right [02:06.67]and we only require respect for that right." [02:08.53]The nuclear agreement has many critics. [02:12.19]Israeli officials say it does nothing [02:15.81]to stop Iranian efforts to build nuclear weapons. [02:20.92]Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the deal. [02:25.28]He said this is not a historic agreement, [02:35.15]but a historic mistake. [02:37.78]In Washington, President Barack Obama [02:46.52]sought to answer concerns of Israel [02:49.64]and American partners in the Middle East. [02:53.20]Mr. Obama said the deal halts Iran's nuclear program [02:59.12]for the first time in almost 10 years. [03:03.63]He said the next step will be to negotiate [03:07.85]a detailed and lasting solution. [03:11.56]The president appealed to American lawmakers [03:15.27]not to move forward with new sanctions against Iran. [03:20.39]Senator Saxby Chambliss is a member [03:25.09]of the Republican Party from Georgia. [03:27.86]He objects to any easing of economic pressure against Iran. [03:33.97]"Now is just not the time [03:35.87]to ease sanctions when they are working." [03:37.94]Many people are waiting to see what happens next. [03:42.23]Ephrim Asculai was an official [03:45.99]with the International Atomic Energy Agency. [03:48.85]He now works at the Institute for Defense Security Studies [03:54.26]in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. [03:57.32]He says the agreement answers many concerns [04:01.58]over Iran's nuclear activities. [04:04.59]But he is worried about some of the details, [04:08.50]like whether Iran will let international inspectors [04:12.31]visit all of its nuclear centers. [04:15.47]Mark Fitzpatrick is with the International Institute [04:19.89]for Strategic Studies in London. [04:22.25]He says the two sides must now honor the agreement [04:27.06]to show they can honor a deal. [04:30.02]"Implementing it will show that they both mean what they say. [04:34.68]It'll be very important that the two sides carry it out [04:37.93]so that both sides can show their doubters [04:41.45]– and both sides have real skeptics and doubters [04:44.55]– that the other side can strike a deal and keep to it." [04:48.26]And that's In The News, from VOA Learning English. [04:52.57]I'm Steve Ember.

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