Iran and the P5+1 nations — the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, Russia and China — have reached a technical understanding to begin implementing an agreement to roll back Iran’s nuclear program.

The deal aims to reassure the international community that Iran is not trying to develop a nuclear weapon. In exchange, Iran will see a six-month suspension in sanctions that have crippled its economy. During that period, negotiators will work to craft a comprehensive, final agreement. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is commissioned to oversee Iran’s commitment to the agreement. 

The White House has released details of the deal, which goes into effect Jan. 20.

• Halt production of near-20-percent enriched uranium and disable the centrifuges used to produce it.

• Start neutralizing its near-20-percent enriched uranium stockpile.

• Refrain from enriching uranium in nearly half the installed centrifuges at its Natanz site and three-quarters of centrifuges at its Fordow site.

• Limit centrifuge production to what’s needed to replace damaged machines.

• Refrain from building additional enrichment facilities and advancing research and development of enrichment.

• Refrain from commissioning, fueling or adding reactor components to its Arak reactor and halt production and additional testing of fuel for the reactor.

• Refrain from building a facility capable of reprocessing, which would allow Iran to separate out plutonium, which could be used to make nuclear bombs.

• Suspend implementation of sanctions on Iran’s petrochemical exports and on goods imported for use in its automotive industry.

• Suspend sanctions on Iran’s import and export of gold and other precious metals.

• Shelve efforts to further curtail Iranian crude-oil purchases by P5+1 countries.

• Free up Iranian money to help pay the educational costs of young Iranians, many of whom are attending U.S. colleges and universities.

• Raise tenfold the ceilings for money transfers to and from Iran.

• Take actions to ease Iran’s access to $4.2 billion in restricted Iranian funds in several installments. The first installment of $550 million in frozen assets will be released to Iran in the first week of February