After more than four days of intense negotiations, Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany sealed an interim deal in Geneva on Sunday morning to pave the way for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program.

China on Sunday welcomed the deal, saying the agreement with Tehran would "help safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East".

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also hailed the agreement and said the nuclear deal marks “a turning point.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also praised the deal and stressed it would benefit all sides. "Nobody lost, everyone ends up winning," he said.

France, Britain and the US - the other members of the six-nation group - have also welcomed the agreement.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the deal allows Iran to continue its activities at Arak, Fordow and Natanz facilities. The agreement also stipulates that no additional sanctions will be imposed on Tehran because of its nuclear energy program.

Addressing journalists on Sunday after the announcement of the deal, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran’s right to enrichment has been recognized in the deal.

Zarif said that the agreement “covers several important domains, the most important of which is the recognition of the right to enrichment.”

SHI/SHI