Iran’s top diplomat has ‘mandate’ for nuclear agreement
IRAN’S chief diplomat insisted yesterday he had a mandate to finalise a nuclear agreement despite increased signs of backtracking by his country’s supreme leader, as talks with world powers were set to blow past yesterday’s self-imposed deadline without a deal.
Returning to the negotiations in Vienna, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the diplomacy had reached a “very sensitive stage” but that progress was possible.
He said: “I already had a mandate to negotiate and I am here to get a final deal and I think we can.”
He then continued his discussions with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Mr Zarif returned with Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s atomic agency, who had missed earlier sessions due to illness. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov was also expected to join the gathering yesterday.
The negotiators hope to clinch an accord curbing Iran’s nuclear programme for a decade in exchange for tens of billions of dollars in relief from international economic sanctions.
But significant disagreements persist, not least over the level of inspections on Iranian sites, how quickly the West will roll back sanctions, and what types of re- search and development Iran will be permitted to conduct on advanced nuclear technology.
On Monday, US officials suggested that significant backtracking by Tehran’s negotiators may need several more days to resolve.
In recent weeks, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a series of red lines that appear to renege on a framework for a deal his representatives agreed to three months ago in Switzerland.