1. English Edition

Deal on Iran Nuclear Program Not Yet Close, Senior Western Diplomat Says

Deal on Iran Nuclear Program Not Yet Close, Senior Western Diplomat Says
dj
Παρ, 18 Οκτωβρίου 2013 - 18:39
Iran has "reassured" the West about its nuclear program but a solution to the decadelong standoff is not yet "close," a senior Western diplomat said.
Iran has "reassured" the West about its nuclear program but a solution to the decadelong standoff is not yet "close," a senior Western diplomat said.

"We are more reassured than we were before," the person said. "However, it doesn't mean we are close to a solution and that we will have an agreement next month."

Two days of nuclear talks between Iran and six major powers in Geneva ended Wednesday, with Western officials saying they were the most detailed in years.

Iran will meet again with representatives of the six powers in Geneva on Nov. 7-8, with technical-level talks due to take place before that.

The talks come amid a burst of diplomatic activity between Iran and the West since the election of Iranian President Hasan Rouhani, considered a moderate, in June. Last month, Mr. Rouhani held a 15-minute phone conversation with U.S. President Barack Obama, the highest level contact between the two countries since the 1979 Iranian revolution.

However, officials said after this week's talks that the two sides remained far apart on a deal that could see Iran scale back its nuclear program in exchange for a major easing of tight sanctions.

The diplomat said Thursday that the group of six powers who negotiate with Iran--the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany--learned new details of Iran's nuclear activities in the talks, though the official did not give details.

The diplomat also declined to offer details about a presentation Iran made on Tuesday to the six powers, laying out ideas for resolving the conflict.

"We learned more about their program and their concerns. But the differences remain very large in terms of what the steps should include," the official said.

Iran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but some Western governments fear Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Διαβάστε ακόμα