U.N. Endorses Iran Deal, Paves Way to Lift Sanctions

The U.N. Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the historic deal on Iran's nuclear program and cleared a path to lift sanctions crippling its economy.

The passing of the resolution marks formal U.N. approval for the hard-won, groundbreaking agreement reached between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group after 18 straight days of talks that capped almost two years of momentous negotiations.

Provided Iran respects the agreement to the letter, seven U.N. resolutions passed since 2006 to sanction Iran will be gradually terminated, the text of the resolution says.

The agreement with Tehran was reached last Tuesday in Vienna by the U.N. council's five permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.

The text launches a progressive and conditional lifting of sanctions, in exchange for guarantees that the Islamic republic will not develop a nuclear bomb.

U.N. ambassadors welcomed the resolution and said the years of hard-work on Iran should become a blueprint for how the world deals with other crises such as those in Syria and Yemen.

U.S. envoy Samantha Power called on Iran to abide by the agreement in order to end its isolation, make the "the world more secure" and to "fully empower the Iranian people."

"When our nations truly unite to confront global crises, our influence grows exponentially," she said. "It should motivate us to do far more."

"We turn not simply a page but a whole chapter in the work of the Council by creating a new reality," said Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin.

"We expect that all countries will quickly adapt to the new conditions and will contribute to a successful implementation of the agreement," he added.

The nuclear deal has been touted as an opening for greater contact between Iran and the leading nations over common interests, particularly on tackling the jihadist Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

British ambassador Matthew Rycroft called on Iran to play a "transparent and constructive role in regional affairs" such as in Syria and Yemen.

The council charges the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to "undertake the necessary verification and monitoring of Iran's nuclear commitments."

Those commitments include limiting the number of centrifuges for its fissile material. The resolution demands that Iran "cooperate fully" with the IAEA.

As soon as the council receives IAEA confirmation that the nuclear program is entirely peaceful, the seven U.N. sanctions resolutions against Tehran will be terminated and replaced by the terms of Monday's resolution.

Sanctions to be lifted include a ban on the trade of goods or services linked to Iranian nuclear activities, and the freezing of financial assets of designated Iranian officials and companies.

But embargoes on the sales and exports of conventional weapons and ballistic missile technology will remain in place -- for five years for conventional weapons and for eight years for missile technology.

If Tehran violates any of its commitments, the council can initiate proceedings to reinstate its panoply of sanctions.

The so-called "snapback" mechanism can put old sanctions back in place if world powers feel Iran has not met its commitments under the Vienna deal.

If a protest is made via a joint commission, the U.N. Security Council would have to vote on whether to continue the sanctions lifting.

It leaves Iran under the threat of renewed sanctions for 15 years -- 10 years under the Vienna agreement endorsed by the U.N., and the P5+1 committing to another five years of tight monitoring.

In the United States, a hostile and Republican-majority Congress has 60 days to review the deal. The Congress can pass a motion of disapproval, but President Barack Obama can then veto that. An override of the veto requires two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate.