EDITORIAL

Good news about Iran

1/14/2014

Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, and the international economic sanctions against it, took another step forward Sunday as the two sides reached agreement in Paris on a starter deal.

The United States has three key negotiating efforts under way, all related to the Middle East. These are the Israeli-Palestinian talks, the Syrian peace talks set to begin in Switzerland Jan. 22, and the Iran discussions.

The basic thrust of the agreement, reached with Secretary of State John Kerry leading the U.S. delegation, is that Iran will freeze its nuclear program and accept extensive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency while the other countries involved take steps to ease the economic pressures on Iran.

This is a positive development for peace in the Middle East, as well as an opening in U.S.-Iranian relations, which have been frozen since 1979.

Opposition to the agreement exists in both the United States and Iran from hardliners.But everyone should see the agreement as good news.