Iranian foreign minister confident nuke deal will be completed Saturday

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Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said a historic nuclear deal reached last summer between Iran and six world powers would go into effect on Saturday, according to Iran’s semiofficial ISNA news agency.

“Today is a good day for the Iranian people, and the sanctions will be annulled today,” Mr. Zarif told reporters after arriving in Vienna to conclude the implementation, according to the agency.

The deal is expected to take effect following the release of a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency verifying that Iran completed a number of preliminary commitments, including shutting down thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges and removing the reactor core at its Arak heavy-water facility near Tehran.

Mr. Zarif said he would meet with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini following an expected joint statement announcing the implementation of the deal, ISNA reported.

Mr. Zarif said the meetings would “make sure the [nuclear deal] is carried out appropriately.”

Under the July deal, Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

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