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West Sees Unity on Iran Despite Crisis in Ukraine West Sees Unity on Iran Despite Crisis in Ukraine
(35 minutes later)
VIENNA — Talks on a permanent nuclear agreement with Iran resumed in Vienna on Tuesday, heavily shadowed by the Ukraine crisis between the West and Russia. But European and American officials said their differences with the Kremlin had no effect on the unified position they all take aimed at ensuring the Iranians can never make atomic bombs.VIENNA — Talks on a permanent nuclear agreement with Iran resumed in Vienna on Tuesday, heavily shadowed by the Ukraine crisis between the West and Russia. But European and American officials said their differences with the Kremlin had no effect on the unified position they all take aimed at ensuring the Iranians can never make atomic bombs.
Iran’s delegation to the two-day talks here made no public mention of the East-West crisis over the fate of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which the Russian government annexed on Tuesday in defiance of Western condemnation and economic sanctions. Western diplomats and proliferation experts have said they feared the crisis would create schisms that Iran could exploit among the so-called P5-plus-1 countries negotiating with Iran, which are the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany.Iran’s delegation to the two-day talks here made no public mention of the East-West crisis over the fate of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which the Russian government annexed on Tuesday in defiance of Western condemnation and economic sanctions. Western diplomats and proliferation experts have said they feared the crisis would create schisms that Iran could exploit among the so-called P5-plus-1 countries negotiating with Iran, which are the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany.
Michael Mann, a spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, who is the lead negotiator for the P5-plus-1 group, told reporters that he had not seen “any negative effect” on the talks attributable to the Ukraine crisis.Michael Mann, a spokesman for Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, who is the lead negotiator for the P5-plus-1 group, told reporters that he had not seen “any negative effect” on the talks attributable to the Ukraine crisis.
A senior official at the United States Treasury Department, which helps administer American economic sanctions against Iran — and now Russia — also said the Kremlin had done nothing to suggest it would undermine the outside pressure on Iran to resolve the decade-old nuclear dispute. Iran has insisted its nuclear activities are peaceful and has repeatedly denied assertions, mostly from the West and Israel, that it aspires to achieve the ability to make nuclear weapons. A senior official at the United States Treasury Department, which helps administer American economic sanctions against Iran — and now Russia — also said the Kremlin had done nothing to suggest it would undermine the outside pressure on Iran to resolve the decade-old nuclear dispute. Iran has insisted its nuclear activities are peaceful and has denied assertions, mostly from the West and Israel, that it aspires to achieve the ability to make nuclear weapons.
“I don’t think we ever thought that the Russians were doing us a favor by participating in the P5-plus-1 negotiations,” said the Treasury official, who spoke on condition that he not be further identified because the diplomacy is delicate. “They’ve been involved in this because they have a shared interest in ensuring that Iran doesn’t obtain a nuclear weapon. So I think we expect that interest hasn’t changed and that they’re going to continue to be productive members of the P5-plus-1 process.”
Iran appeared to set a hardened posture, however, in the Vienna talks, which are scheduled to conclude Wednesday. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, an American-educated diplomat who has frequently taken to social media to promulgate his views, said in a Twitter post that he expected the discussions to be “important and tough,” and that “We have held our end of the bargain. Time for our counterparts to keep theirs.”Iran appeared to set a hardened posture, however, in the Vienna talks, which are scheduled to conclude Wednesday. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, an American-educated diplomat who has frequently taken to social media to promulgate his views, said in a Twitter post that he expected the discussions to be “important and tough,” and that “We have held our end of the bargain. Time for our counterparts to keep theirs.”
He apparently was alluding to a six-month accord that took effect on Jan. 20, and was designed to give negotiators more time to reach a permanent agreement. Under the temporary accord, which is renewable, Iran curtailed uranium enrichment and some other nuclear activities in exchange for a modest easing of Western sanctions that have hurt its economy. He apparently was alluding to a six-month accord that took effect on Jan. 20, and was designed to give negotiators more time to reach a permanent agreement. Under the temporary accord, which is renewable, Iran curtailed uranium enrichment and some other nuclear activities in exchange for a modest easing of Western sanctions.
Mr. Zarif also appeared to telegraph his displeasure over Ms. Ashton’s meeting with a group of Iranian dissident women while she was on a visit to Tehran on March 8, the first trip there by the top European Union foreign policy official in more than five years. Mr. Zarif also appeared to telegraph his displeasure over Ms. Ashton’s meeting with Iranian dissident women while she was on a visit to Tehran on March 8, the first trip there by the top European Union foreign policy official in more than five years.
Iran’s official news media said Mr. Zarif had canceled a dinner with Ms. Ashton on the eve of the Vienna talks over what it called her undiplomatic behavior. But it is unclear if that was the reason.Iran’s official news media said Mr. Zarif had canceled a dinner with Ms. Ashton on the eve of the Vienna talks over what it called her undiplomatic behavior. But it is unclear if that was the reason.
Mr. Mann disputed the Iranian version of events. “She was in Iran last weekend and spent a lot of time with the minister, so it was felt there was less need for a dinner this time,” he said in an email. “She had preparation to do with her team.”Mr. Mann disputed the Iranian version of events. “She was in Iran last weekend and spent a lot of time with the minister, so it was felt there was less need for a dinner this time,” he said in an email. “She had preparation to do with her team.”
The nuclear talks are watched closely in Israel, which regards Iran as a top security threat and has not ruled out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. In the newspaper Haaretz on Tuesday, Israel’s defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, was quoted as saying that the United States “should lead the campaign against Iran” instead of negotiating. The talks are watched closely in Israel, which regards Iran as a top security threat and has not ruled out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. In the newspaper Haaretz on Tuesday, Israel’s defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, was quoted as saying that the United States “should lead the campaign against Iran” instead of negotiating.
“Therefore, on this matter, we have to behave as though we have nobody to look out for us but ourselves,” he was quoted as saying.“Therefore, on this matter, we have to behave as though we have nobody to look out for us but ourselves,” he was quoted as saying.