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| John Kerry insists US and Iran will reach nuclear deal before Monday deadline | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The US secretary of state, John Kerry, arrived at nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna on Thursday, insisting negotiators were focused on reaching agreement by the Monday deadline. | The US secretary of state, John Kerry, arrived at nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna on Thursday, insisting negotiators were focused on reaching agreement by the Monday deadline. |
| Kerry was responding to remarks on Wednesday by his British counterpart, Philip Hammond, who suggested that the deadline would have to be extended. | Kerry was responding to remarks on Wednesday by his British counterpart, Philip Hammond, who suggested that the deadline would have to be extended. |
| “We are not discussing an extension. We are negotiating to have an agreement. It’s that simple,” Kerry said in Paris before boarding the flight to Vienna. “I know that secretary Hammond is concerned about the gaps. We all are. | “We are not discussing an extension. We are negotiating to have an agreement. It’s that simple,” Kerry said in Paris before boarding the flight to Vienna. “I know that secretary Hammond is concerned about the gaps. We all are. |
| Both sides are taking this process seriously and both sides are trying to find common ground. That does not mean we agree on everything. But it does mean we have discussed in detail the full range of relevant issues that have to be part of a durable and comprehensive agreement.” | Both sides are taking this process seriously and both sides are trying to find common ground. That does not mean we agree on everything. But it does mean we have discussed in detail the full range of relevant issues that have to be part of a durable and comprehensive agreement.” |
| While in Paris Kerry held talks with the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. Those talks were intended to help maintain the support of both countries – among the most hawkish on Iran – for the negotiations over a comprehensive deal. | While in Paris Kerry held talks with the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. Those talks were intended to help maintain the support of both countries – among the most hawkish on Iran – for the negotiations over a comprehensive deal. |
| Meanwhile, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, complained that Iran had not been cooperating with its inquiry into evidence of past Iranian development work on nuclear weapons. | Meanwhile, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, complained that Iran had not been cooperating with its inquiry into evidence of past Iranian development work on nuclear weapons. |
| “I call upon Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency and to provide timely access to all relevant information, documentation, sites, material and personnel,” Amano told the IAEA’s governing board, which comprises the organisation’s member states. | “I call upon Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency and to provide timely access to all relevant information, documentation, sites, material and personnel,” Amano told the IAEA’s governing board, which comprises the organisation’s member states. |
| All sides at the Vienna talks have agreed that the resolution of the IAEA’s inquiry into past weaponisation work will be achieved at some later date over the lifetime of a comprehensive deal, when it will be tied to the lifting of the last sanctions on the country. | All sides at the Vienna talks have agreed that the resolution of the IAEA’s inquiry into past weaponisation work will be achieved at some later date over the lifetime of a comprehensive deal, when it will be tied to the lifting of the last sanctions on the country. |
| Even if a strategic comprehensive deal is reached over the weekend, trading curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme for the easing of sanctions, observers believe an extension to the deadline will probably be necessary to confirm acceptance of the deal in national capitals and fill in the details. | Even if a strategic comprehensive deal is reached over the weekend, trading curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme for the easing of sanctions, observers believe an extension to the deadline will probably be necessary to confirm acceptance of the deal in national capitals and fill in the details. |
| Before travelling to Paris, Kerry met the Omani foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, twice in London. Oman has been an important intermediary in the past between Washington and Tehran, and Alawi met President Hassan Rouhani and aides to Iran’s supreme leader on a visit to the Iranian capital last weekend. | Before travelling to Paris, Kerry met the Omani foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, twice in London. Oman has been an important intermediary in the past between Washington and Tehran, and Alawi met President Hassan Rouhani and aides to Iran’s supreme leader on a visit to the Iranian capital last weekend. |
| In Paris, Kerry met the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, and his Saudi opposite number, Saud al-Faisal. Both have been sceptics over Iran’s intentions and opponents of concessions that leave it with a significant uranium enrichment capacity. | In Paris, Kerry met the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, and his Saudi opposite number, Saud al-Faisal. Both have been sceptics over Iran’s intentions and opponents of concessions that leave it with a significant uranium enrichment capacity. |
| At last year’s negotiations in Geneva for an interim deal with Iran, Fabius staged a last-minute intervention declaring that France would not accept a “fool’s game”. Kerry is said to be concerned about similar friction among the western powers in Vienna. | At last year’s negotiations in Geneva for an interim deal with Iran, Fabius staged a last-minute intervention declaring that France would not accept a “fool’s game”. Kerry is said to be concerned about similar friction among the western powers in Vienna. |