Diplomacy is accelerating in the run-up to the July 20 deadline for a nuclear deal. Delegations from most of the world’s six major powers are holding separate meetings with Iranian negotiators. Top U.S. officials led by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns held talks with the Iranians from June 9 to 10. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed Burn’s attendance in remarks to the press. Negotiations “hard and intense, but held in a positive atmosphere,” Araghchi said after the two days of meetings.
Araghchi said Iranian officials will also meet with a French delegation in Geneva, the Russians in Rome, and the Germans in Tehran before the next round of multilateral talks on June 16. The Iranian ministry is working to arrange other bilateral meetings with the remaining members of the world’s six major powers.
Even some Israelis are now conceding that an agreement is increasingly likely before the end of 2014. Iran is serious about negotiations with the world’s six major powers on its nuclear program, according to. “Iran is abiding by the interim agreement and the pressures, mainly the economic crisis, are leading it toward a dialogue, which we regard as serious-minded, on a permanent agreement,” Israeli military intelligence analyst, Brigadier-General Itai Brun he told the annual Herziliya Conference on policy on June 9. The following are excerpted remarks on the final push for a nuclear deal.
Israeli Brigadier-General Itai Brun
“It is very possible that Iran and the world powers that are negotiating with it are moving toward the signing, sometime during the year, of a permanent nuclear deal.
“In the meantime, Iran is abiding by the interim agreement and the pressures, mainly the economic crisis, are leading it toward a dialogue, which we regard as serious-minded, on a permanent agreement.”
June 9, to the Herzliya Conference
Israeli Strategic and Intelligence Affairs Minister
“A good agreement with Iran is an agreement in which Iran may get the ability to present a developed civilian nuclear programme like other countries have - Sweden or South Korea or Spain - but without the ability to enrich uranium and without the ability to yield plutonium.
“We opposed the interim deal because we saw problems and holes in it. Nor do we like the idea of extending the talks by half a year or a number of months.
“But if the alternative that will be raised in the coming weeks, beginning with this imminent week, will be to try to seal an agreement at any price ... it would be preferable - though we are not keen on this - to extend the talks by a number of weeks or months to close up all of the holes on a matter that is so critical to our well-being and that of the world.”
June 9, to the Herlizya Conference
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
“We are still hitting a wall on one absolutely fundamental point which is the number of centrifuges which allow [uranium] enrichment. We say there can be a few hundred centrifuges, but the Iranians want thousands so we're not in the same framework.”
June 10, to French Inter radio, according to Reuters
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Marie Harf
“We think we've made progress during some rounds, but as we said coming out of the last one, we hadn't seen enough made. We hadn't seen enough realism, quite frankly, on the table.
“We are at a critical juncture in the talks. We know we don't have a lot of time left. That's why we've said diplomacy will intensify. People need to make tough choices.”
June 10, to the press
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
The U.S.-Iran talks were “hard and intense, but held in a positive atmosphere.” It is “too soon to judge” whether an time extension is necessary. “But the good thing is all parties are seriously committed to meet that goal [the July 20 deadline]. Whether we can do it or not is something else.”
June 10, to Iranian media
“We hope to reach a final agreement (by July 20) but, if this doesn't happen, then we have no choice but to extend the Geneva deal for six more months while we continue negotiations. It's still too early to judge whether an extension will be needed. This hope still exists that we will be able to reach a final agreement by the end of the six months on July 20.
“There are still gaps between Iran and the (six powers) in various issues and in order to bring our views closer, the other side must make tough decisions.”
June 9, on the sidelines of talks with U.S. and E.U officials
“Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. in the Swiss city of Geneva were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere.”
June 9, after a five-hour bilateral session
“We have always had bilateral discussions with the United States in the margin of the P5+1 group discussions, but since the talks have entered a serious phase, we want to have separate consultations.”
June 8, according to IRNA and agencies
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying
“We would like to maintain close communications with all related parties and play a constructive role in the all-round negotiation process. China maintains the direct engagement between six countries and Iran will help deepen mutual understanding and promote negotiation process.
“As the negotiations go deeper, the issues involved will be more complicated and sensitive. All parties should seek common ground and resolve differences with a flexible and pragmatic attitude.”
June 9, to the press
E.U. Foreign policy chief spokesperson Michael Mann
“The E3/E.U.+3's diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive solution are now intensifying. They have always taken place at different levels and in different formats and included bilateral meetings in support of the central E3/E.U.+3 nuclear negotiations led by [High Representative] Ashton.”
June 10, in remarks to Al-Monitor
The following is a list of U.S. officials that traveled to Geneva to meet with the Iranian team.
The Honorable William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary of State
Wendy R. Sherman
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Jake Sullivan
Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President
Ambassador Brooke Anderson
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary for Political Affairs on the Iran Nuclear Negotiations
James Timbie
Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Robert Malley
Senior Director for Iran, Iraq, and the Gulf States, National Security Council
Paul Irwin
Director for Nonproliferation, National Security Council
Richard Nephew
Principal Deputy Coordinator for Sanctions Policy, Department of State