A historic US-Iran agreement aims to halt Iran’s nuclear advances in making an atomic bomb while gradually relieving the nation of its economic sanctions.

The deal was signed on Nov. 24 in Geneva’s Palace of Nations after several rounds of talks. The Guardian reported secret meetings between both the parties, running along with the official negotiations played a part in reaching the deal. It releases Iranian assets in frozen accounts and lifts trade restrictions on gold, petrochemicals and other goods.

In exchange, Iran has agreed to dilute its stock of enriched uranium, not commission its heavy-water reactor and accept more inspections from the International Atomic Energy Agency among other restrictions on nuclear development.

“While today’s announcement is just a first step, it achieves a great deal. For the first time in nearly a decade, we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, and key parts of the program will be rolled back,” President Obama said in an address after the deal.

Defending the deal, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said nuclear development and economic progress were both important to the nation. Israel termed the deal as a historic mistake as it allows Iran to continue critical components of its nuclear program and is not required to dismantle Arak, Iran’s heavy-water reactor.

“Any light we see at the end of this tunnel, it is seen as a positive step,” said Sina Safayi, postdoctoral research associate from Iran at the College of Veterinary Medicine. He added the deal was largely seen positively back home.   

Safayi said he sees a couple of positive aspects to the deal. The taboo of having talks with the opposite side has been broken down. Another aspect of this process, he said, was using diplomacy as a tool rather than economic or armed threats. Also, the process successfully proceeded without any external pressures. He added he hopes extremists from both the countries do not derail the deal in the future.

Over the years, economic sanctions on Iran have heavily impacted oil production, the main source of revenue for the nation. After the sanctions, value of the Iranian rial has plunged and contributed to inflation, which is about 40 percent.

“The deal is a disaster because it hasn’t imposed any serious conditions on Iran to force it to stop its nuclear program. We are already giving them something for nothing,” said Mitchell Bard, executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise based in Maryland. “There is no requirement for Iran to stop enriching Uranium, which is a requirement for United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

Safayi said he did not agree with the criticism of the deal as it is largely based on fear mongering.

Bard said the deal assumes the required would be done by Iran and gives it time to develop its nuclear weapon. He added that the only “remotely positive” aspect of the deal is that it revives hope in diplomacy with Iran.

Ideally, Bard said the deal should have asked Iran to completely stop nuclear enrichment, destroy its current centrifuges and existing nuclear stockpiles. He said the alternatives would be impose tougher sanctions to compel Iran to stop its nuclear program or take military action.

Some questioned the validity of Israel’s position on Iranian nuclear development when Israel itself is widely believed to have built nuclear arsenal and refusing to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Bard said the possession of nuclear weapons by Israel is not dangerous as it hasn’t threatened to use them. He added that the Iran issue is more complicated than the nuclear issue as various geo-strategic interests are involved.

“Any progress or breakthrough in opening doors in and out of Iran increases the exchange between Iran and the world. That exchange helps to open the eyes of those who don’t know anything else than what they have been told in schools and censored public media,” Safayi said.