EU Hails Iran Deal, Urges Implementation as Ban Says Agreement Potentially 'Historic'

European Union President Herman Van Rompuy on Sunday hailed the "courage" shown by Iran and world powers in their deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program, but also urged its "punctual" implementation, as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said the agreement could be "historic" for the Middle East.

"It is now crucial to ensure punctual implementation of the agreement reached and to continue working, on the basis of the trust that is being built, towards a definitive settlement of this issue," Van Rompuy said of the agreement which offers Iran in exchange limited sanctions relief.

Details of actions and timetables concerning International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of the most sensitive uranium-enrichment sites and the un-blocking of sanctions potentially worth billions of oil dollars have yet to fully emerge.

But as Tehran and the West work "towards providing assurances that guarantee the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program," Van Rompuy expressed his conviction that "addressing effectively this question will have significant regional and global effects."

"It will reduce political tensions, contribute to build trust and support the promotion of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," he said.

Praising "the commitment and courage by all parties, including by Iran under newly-elected President (Hassan) Rouhani," Van Rompuy also bestowed special praise on the EU's foreign affairs chief and lead-negotiator Catherine Ashton, for her "crucial role.”

Later on Sunday, U.N. leader Ban said the deal could be "historic" for the Middle East.

Ban "warmly welcomes" the preliminary accord under which Iran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief, said the U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Ban said the accord "could turn out to be the beginnings of a historic agreement for the peoples and nations of the Middle East region and beyond."

Iran struck the deal with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, and Ban said all sides must work on "creating mutual confidence and allowing continued negotiations to extend the scope of this initial agreement."

The Elders, a group of former world leaders, also welcomed the accord, but called for swift followup measures to make sure it is carried out.

"We are all aware of the risks involved," said Jimmy Carter, former U.S. president who clashed with Iran during his term of office.

"But I am convinced that, after 35 years of animosity and distrust, there is an historic opportunity to rebuild relations with the government and people of Iran on solid foundations of mutual respect," Carter said in a statement released by his group.

Meanwhile, Britain said Sunday that Iran's nuclear deal did not refer to Tehran's "right to enrich" uranium, but added that a final agreement could allow "limited" enrichment for peaceful purposes.

Tehran has boasted that the interim deal, which offers Iran limited sanctions relief, recognized its right to enrich uranium, but Washington also denied any such reference.

"The phrase (right to enrich uranium) is not in the document," Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC after arriving back in London following the landmark deal in Geneva.

"The document does not resolve the argument about whether there is such a thing as the right to enrich.

"What it says, is that as part of a comprehensive solution, if we reach that further stage of a comprehensive solution, Iran would be able to enjoy its basic rights to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and that would involve what we call a mutually-defined enrichment program limited to practical needs.

"Now that's an important statement by the rest of us, by the international community, that that is in return for negotiating a comprehensive settlement that will give assurance to the whole world that the Iranian nuclear program is for peaceful purposes."

Under the interim deal, Iran agreed with the P5+1 group -- the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany -- to row back some of its nuclear activities.

Hague has welcomed the news, adding it would take Tehran further away from a "nuclear weapons threshold."

"Iran has made a lot of concessions, a lot of commitment here, as part of a 'first step' deal," Hague told the BBC.

"It is true this agreement does not deal with all of the issues of Iran's nuclear program.

"But we won't be able to get an agreement unless we do this first-stage agreement that gives us the time and the space to do so, that stops so many aspects of Iran's nuclear program and actually rolls back some other aspects, so that ... it takes them further away from that nuclear weapons threshold while we negotiate a full comprehensive agreement."

Hague praised Rouhani and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for their "constructive" but "tough" approach, adding that the deal "should give us faith in the power of diplomacy."