Lebanon hails agreement on Iranian n-programme

Lebanese government Sunday welcomed the nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers while describing it as "an important turning point in Iran's relations with the West, particularly with the US".

"The agreement is undoubtedly a significant victory with regards to Iran's right to (obtain) peaceful nuclear technology and to enrich uranium on its soil, a right previously denied by the West," reported Xinhua citing Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour.

He said that the West should face an inescapable fact "that it must work toward ridding the Middle East of mass destruction weapons by forcing Israel to sign the international convention".

Iran and the P5+1 group -- namely Britain, China, France, Russia and the US, plus Germany -- announced Sunday morning to have reached a deal following five days of Geneva talks.

According to the deal, the US and its allies will afford Iran with sanctions relief equivalent to $7 billion under the terms of the six-month nuclear deal. In exchange, Iran will halt uranium enrichment above five percent in purity, according to a White House statement.