Iran
Sets Framework For Nuclear Program Negotiations: Demands Lifting Of
All Sanctions
26
September, 2013
Moments
ago, John Kerry sat down with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif to once again attempt to reach a deal on the Iranian
nuclear program.
As
BBC
reported,
"Iran has been negotiating over the nuclear issue since 2006
with the P5+1 - the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council, plus Germany. Since Mr Rouhani's election in June, Iranian
officials have reached out to the West, saying they want to address
concerns over Iran's nuclear programme. On Tuesday, Mr Rouhani told
the General Assembly that he was prepared to engage in "time-bound
and results-oriented" talks. On Thursday, he called for stricter
controls on nuclear weapons as part of a global effort to eventually
rid the world of them. "No nation should possess nuclear
weapons, since there are no right hands for these wrong weapons,"
he said, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement at the
General Assembly."
As
is well-known, The P5+1 have repeatedly asked Iran to halt production
and stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20% - a step away from
achieving a nuclear weapons capability. They have also demanded Iran
shut down the Fordo underground enrichment facility.
In
return, and perhaps emboldened by the recent embarrassment of the
Obama administration not only at the hands of the diplomatic finesse
of one Vladimir Putin, but indirectly, from Syria's president Assad,
Iran was prompt to make it clear that in a multi-polar world in which
the US is no longer the undisputed superpower, it has its own set of
demands.
To
wit:
BREAKING. Iranian FM Zarif: there has to be a lifting of all sanctions, hope to be able to move in that direction in a short span of time
So
how will the US respond: will it lift sanctions against the crippled
nation, where a dollar shortage has led to the emergence of a black
market and a dramatic loss in the value of the local currency which
however was insufficient to break the regime, however pushing Iran to
set up bilateral trade arranagements that largely bypass the US
currency?
Or,
will the US as a token of good will, succumb to the Iranian demands,
and do as Iran asks, further stepping away from the much desired role
of a morally superior Globocop?
We
eagerly await Kerry's response.
* *
*
Update:
Iran appears happy:
BREAKING: Iran's FM says world powers agreed to try to fast-track nuclear negotiations to within a year.
112 RETWEETS 29 FAVORITES
Breakthrough
hailed as US and Iran sit down for nuclear deal discussion
John
Kerry has 'substantive' talks with foreign minister as hopes grow for
a timetable to end bitter stalemate
26
September, 2013
Iran
and the US held their first substantive high-level meeting since the
1979 Islamic revolution on Thursday night at multilateral talks
hailed on both sides as a fresh start for nuclear negotiations,
raising hopes of a solution to the long running stalemate.
The
US secretary of state, John Kerry, and the Iranian foreign minister,
Mohammad Javad Zarif, sat next to each other at the seven-nation
meeting at the UN headquarters, and lingered afterwards for a
bilateral discussion of more than 20 minutes, a breakthrough in a
relationship that has been frozen for more than three decades.
The
meeting was chaired by the EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton,
who said that the parties would meet again in Geneva on 15 October
for a two-day meeting aimed at achieving the first real diplomatic
progress for several years. Zarif and Kerry said it was possible that
the two of them would attend the Geneva meeting.
Ashton
said she and Zarif both wanted a deal concluded in an ambitious
timeframe and said an agreement could be implemented within a year.
"The
discussions were very substantive, businesslike," Zarif said,
adding he hoped a solution could be found in a timely fashion.
Kerry
noted a change in tone from Iran saying Zarif was "very
different in the vision that he held out with respect to the
possibilities for the future. I have just met with him now in a side
meeting in which we took a moment to explore a little further the
possibilities of how to proceed based on what President Obama laid
out in his speech to the general assembly earlier this week,"
Kerry said.
"And
we've agreed to try to continue the process that will make concrete
and find a way to answer the questions that people have about Iran's
nuclear program."
The
secretary of state suggested Zarif had put some new ideas forward,
saying: "I think all of us were pleased that the foreign
minister came today, that he did put some possibilities on the table.
Now it's up to people to do the hard work of trying to fill out what
those possibilities will do."
Ashton
said: "It was a substantial meeting with a good atmosphere, and
energetic. We had a discussion on how we would go forward with an
ambitious timeframe to see if we can move along quickly … The good
news is there are talks about a timetable."
The
meeting was also attended by foreign ministers from the UK, France,
Germany, Russia and China. Britain's foreign secretary, William
Hague, also welcomed what he described as a new Iranian approach to
the talks.
"I
think the tone and spirit of the meeting we've had has been very good
and indeed a big improvement on the tone and spirit of previous
meetings on this issue and I pay tribute to Minister Zarif for that
and for taking the approach that he has so far," Hague said.
Ashton
noted that the six-nation negotiating group that she convenes had
previously offered a confidence-building package involving some
sanctions relief in return for Iran accepting limits on its uranium
enrichment, and getting rid of its stockpile of medium-enriched
uranium, which is the main proliferation concern.
Western
diplomats have said a more comprehensive deal could be done, in which
Iran agrees only to produce low-enriched uranium for use in nuclear
power stations and accepts more stringent scrutiny from weapons
inspectors, and, in return, the West lifts the bulk of its sanctions
and recognises Iran's right to enrich. Iranian officials have hinted
that such a deal might be possible.
Ashton
said she was keen to hear any proposals Tehran might have before the
Geneva meeting, asking that they be provided early so they could be
studied.
In
his remarks after Thursday night's meeting, Zarif hinted that a
trade-off was possible, but was vague on its outlines.
"We
hope to be able to make progress towards resolving this issue in a
timely fashion based on respecting the rights of the Iranian people
to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, at
the same time making sure that there is no concern on the
international level that Iran's nuclear programme is anything but
peaceful," he said.
How
far Iran is prepared to go in removing international concern could
determine whether the talks succeed or fail. Western diplomats said
that more transparency alone would not be enough; Tehran would have
to accept the principle of limits on its uranium enrichment. That may
become clearer in Geneva.
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