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Tuesday's announcement of a deal on Iran's controversial nuclear program caps more than a decade of negotiations.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the deal is "a testament to the value of dialogue."

"I hope, and indeed believe, that this agreement will lead to greater mutual understanding and cooperation on the many serious security challenges in the Middle East. As such it could serve as a vital contribution to peace and stability both in the region and beyond."

Ban's comment was echoed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"The most significant achievement of the agreement is that it safeguards the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Iran made the political promise that it will not develop nuclear weapons, and the other parties consolidated the promise through a binding international agreement."

Under the deal, international sanctions imposed on Iran will be lifted in return for Tehran agreeing to long-term curbs on a nuclear program that the West has suspected was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb.

The agreement is seen as a political triumph for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was elected two years ago on a vow to reduce the isolation of his nation.

He says the deal has now opened a new chapter for Iran.

"Iran is not looking for weapons of mass destruction and never will be. Iran is not after imposing pressure on the countries of the region and never will be. Countries of the region, the relations between us, today, has a new beginning. We would like more intimacy, more affinity, more brotherhood, more unity, and extended relations with you."

For the West, the deal is about more than just the nuclear issue, as explained by British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.

"The future brings the tantalizing possibility of Iran being a more engaged, more transparent, more consistent and constructive partner in the regional relationships in the Gulf as well, working with us to deal with the shared challenge of ISIL and its extremist ideology."

However, it will probably be months before Iran receives the benefits from the deal.

The lifting of sanctions is conditional on the verification of the deal's fulfillment, in addition to the US Congress' review of the deal in a 60-day period.

Meanwhile, Israel, a strong opponent to the nuclear talks, has slammed the deal as an historic mistake and vowed to block its implementation.

But in encouraging news for Tehran, the European Union has decided to extend its suspension of sanctions on Iran until January next year in preparation for the implementation of the nuclear deal.

For CRI, I'm Qi Zhi.