The Current

'Historic' Iran nuclear deal is weak, say critics

Today, a deal has been made with Iran to curtail its nuclear capacity, and the U.S. and Europe say the world is a safer place because of it. But in Israel, Canada and the U.S., fierce critics say the deal is weak, and Iran should not be left with any nuclear capacity.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the nuclear deal a 'historic moment' and one that offers 'a new chapter of hope' for diplomacy in the Middle East. (REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger )

It was a diplomatic feat years in the making - the result of marathon talks over the past weeks.

Iran and six world powers, including the United States, came to an historic agreement today to scale back Tehran's nuclear program -- and allow for rigorous international inspections -- in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions.

But critics, including many Republicans and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have denounced the fact that Iran will be allowed to retain its nuclear program, albeit in a diminished form. 

To discuss what the deal entails, we were joined by someone who's followed the ins and out closely. Joseph Cirincione is the President of the Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. He is also the author of "Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late". We reached him this morning at his home in Washington, DC.

For a sense of how Israel is reacting to the deal, we were joined by Moshe Ronen. He is an Israeli Canadian and the Vice President of the World Jewish Congress. He was in Tel Aviv.

To see what this historic deal means for Iranians, we were joined by Dr. Houchang Hassan-Yari. He is a Canadian-Iranian, who is a Professor at Royal Military College of Canada. He was in Kingston. 


This segment was produced by The Current's Sarah Grant, Idella Sturino and Lara O'Brien.