Montreux (Switzerland): A senior US official sought Wednesday to tamp down expectations that negotiations with Iran will result in a formal, preliminary deal this month outlining constraints on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief for the Islamic Republic.
The official said the two sides are aiming only for “an understanding that’s going to have to be filled out with lots of detail” by their late March target date.
The official demanded anonymity because this person wasn’t authorised to discuss the secret negotiations publicly.
This official said that President Barack Obama will then determine whether a progress report due soon is grounds to continue talks aimed at a comprehensive deal in June. The official said the next round of talks is set for March 15.
Undeterred by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scathing speech against an Iran nuclear deal, US and Iranian negotiators resumed work earlier Wednesday on an agreement.
With an end-of-month deadline looming to complete a framework accord, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sat down in the Swiss resort of Montreux for their third meeting this week to hash out details of an emerging pact. On Tuesday in Washington, Netanyahu told Congress that the agreement taking shape is dangerous and would allow Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.
His speech drew standing ovations, mostly from Republican legislators. But US officials led by Obama criticised Netanyahu for not presenting any viable alternative to preventing Iran from getting the bomb. Iran, meanwhile, decried pushback from Obama meant to deflect Netanyahu criticism.
Obama this week said that Iran would have to suspend its nuclear activities for at least a decade as part of any final agreement. Zarif, in a statement quoted by Iran’s official news agency IRNA, said Obama’s remarks were “unacceptable and threatening,” aimed at attracting US public opinion while reacting to Netanyahu “and other extremist opponents of the talks.”
The US, Iran and other world powers are racing to meet the end-of-March target to reach the outline of deal, with a July deadline for a final agreement.
