Obama warns against bad nuclear deal
IRAN TALKS EXTENDED UNTIL JULY 7 AS ZARIF RETURNS AFTER CONSULTATIONS
US President Barack Obama yesterday warned he will “walk away” from a bad nuclear deal with Iran, as Tehran and six world powers gave themselves until July 7 to reach a deal.
Insisting there must be a “strong, rigorous verification mechanism” for monitoring Iran’s nuclear sites, Obama sent a fresh warning to Iran’s leaders and negotiators.
Obama said his instructions to negotiators in Vienna had been “extremely clear” — that a deal must block Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
He said there had been “a lot of talk” from Iranian negotiators questioning the terms of a framework agreement reached in Switzerland in April.
“If they cannot, that’s going to be a problem because I’ve said from the start, I will walk away from the negotiations if in fact it’s a bad deal,” he said.
“If we can’t provide assurances that the pathways for Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon are closed and if we can’t verify that, if the inspections regime, verifications regime, is inadequate then we’re not going to get a deal.”
In Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani warned that Iran would resume nuclear work if they went back on a proposed final deal aimed at curbing the country’s nuclear work in return for easing sanctions.
“If the other side breaches the deal, we will go back to the old path, stronger than what they can imagine,” he said.
In Vienna, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he believes that, after almost two years of trying, a deal ending the 13-year standoff is “within reach”. The talks are “progressing in a positive direction,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif returned to Vienna following consultations in Tehran, a visit that had raised hopes of a breakthrough. But after Zarif met US Secretary of State John Kerry for almost two hours, the US State Department said the P5+1 group of global powers had agreed to extend the terms of an interim agreement until July 7.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif rejoined nuclear talks, accompanied by the president’s brother and backed by the nation’s supreme leader, as the push for an accord with world powers entered its final stage.
“I am here to get a final deal and I think we can,” Zarif told reporters yesterday in Vienna while sitting beside US Secretary of State John Kerry inside the Palais Coburg, where the majority of the negotiations are taking place.
In a show of support, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted a picture on Twitter of Zarif and Iran’s envoys to the talks dressed in white scientists’ coats.
“I recognise our negotiators as trustworthy, committed, brave and faithful,” Khamenei said in an accompanying statement.
Iran, holder of the world’s No 4 oil and No 2 natural gas reserves, is seeking the lifting of trade and financial sanctions that have crimped its economy.
Zarif, who left the Austrian capital on Sunday for talks with Iran’s top leaders over remaining hurdles to an agreement, will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Hussain Fereydoun, the brother of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, was also set to join discussions.
“This is the most crucial round of this 22-month long process,” said Ali Vaez, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. “It is not surprising that the Iranians need to have all hands on deck.”
Negotiators originally wanted to reach a deal by June 30. But officials warned ahead of this round of talks that they’d likely need more time and on Monday confirmed an extension would be needed. Diplomats also missed their self-imposed deadlines in November 2013, July last year and March this year. “With each missed deadline, there is less contention about the implications,” said Kelsey Davenport, a director at the Washington-based Arms Control Association, in Vienna. “The stakes are too high to walk away from the talks.”