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| Iran nuclear talks inch along slowly, with ongoing debate over key issues | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Talks over Iran’s nuclear future remained bogged down Thursday over fundamental issues, with the duration of a potential accord and the pace of sanctions relief still unresolved. | LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Talks over Iran’s nuclear future remained bogged down Thursday over fundamental issues, with the duration of a potential accord and the pace of sanctions relief still unresolved. |
| U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who spent a fourth day this week in talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said negotiators have taken a few steps forward but are wrestling with some difficult matters in the final stages of talks. | |
| “We’re pushing some tough issues,” Kerry told reporters when he emerged for a lunch break on a hotel patio. “But we made progress. We’re just working away.” | “We’re pushing some tough issues,” Kerry told reporters when he emerged for a lunch break on a hotel patio. “But we made progress. We’re just working away.” |
| [A framework? A deal? The semantics of the talks] | |
| Negotiators face a March 31 deadline to achieve a framework agreement that includes the broad outlines for a final accord, to be reached by June. | Negotiators face a March 31 deadline to achieve a framework agreement that includes the broad outlines for a final accord, to be reached by June. |
| A European official familiar with the negotiations said that the March deadline is critical for the Obama administration, which is under pressure to come up with an agreement before Congress enacts laws that could complicate a final deal, such as imposing more sanctions on Iran. | |
| The Iranians also are eager for an agreement that shows some progress toward easing sanctions. But the other world powers negotiating alongside the United States — France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia — feel less urgency, the official said, and are willing to keep talking to get more concessions from the Iranians. | The Iranians also are eager for an agreement that shows some progress toward easing sanctions. But the other world powers negotiating alongside the United States — France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia — feel less urgency, the official said, and are willing to keep talking to get more concessions from the Iranians. |
| “I don’t think we’ve made sufficient progress,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the talks. “A lot of issues remain on the table. At the end of the day, the pressure should be on Iran. They have to move.” | “I don’t think we’ve made sufficient progress,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the talks. “A lot of issues remain on the table. At the end of the day, the pressure should be on Iran. They have to move.” |
| The official said that the United States and its negotiating partners are considering allowing Iran to keep about 6,000 uranium-enrichment centrifuges, far fewer than the 19,000 it currently has. But U.S. officials caution that the number of centrifuges is just one of many factors under consideration, including whether the equipment is modern and efficient. Many of Iran’s centrifuges use 1970s technology, which takes considerably longer to enrich uranium, a process necessary for fueling energy-producing reactors and making nuclear bombs. | |
| The United States and its partners want to ensure that it would take at least a full year for Iran to amass enough highly enriched uranium to build one nuclear warhead. | The United States and its partners want to ensure that it would take at least a full year for Iran to amass enough highly enriched uranium to build one nuclear warhead. |
| The negotiators also have not settled on a time frame for an accord. France is holding out for an agreement in which Iran’s nuclear program would be tightly constrained for 15 years and strictly monitored for a decade after that, the European official said. | The negotiators also have not settled on a time frame for an accord. France is holding out for an agreement in which Iran’s nuclear program would be tightly constrained for 15 years and strictly monitored for a decade after that, the European official said. |
| The issue of international sanctions, a top priority for Iran, is still being debated. | The issue of international sanctions, a top priority for Iran, is still being debated. |
| Sanctions imposed by the United Nations will be the most difficult to ease, because most are related to the threat of nuclear proliferation, such as bans on transferring technology. U.S. officials say they are likely to be among the last lifted, but some sanctions on the sale of conventional arms could be eased sooner. | |
| President Obama can waive virtually all of the dozens of U.S. sanctions, even those mandated by Congress. But Congress, now under Republican control, would have the final say on terminating sanctions, and a pending bill would require a congressional vote on any nuclear deal with Iran. | President Obama can waive virtually all of the dozens of U.S. sanctions, even those mandated by Congress. But Congress, now under Republican control, would have the final say on terminating sanctions, and a pending bill would require a congressional vote on any nuclear deal with Iran. |
| A U.S. official who spoke to reporters on the condition of anonymity because the talks are ongoing said negotiators have advised Iran that many sanctions can be suspended as soon as it meets its commitments under an agreement, such as allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to step up inspections of Iranian facilities. | |
| Negotiations are tentatively scheduled to break Friday so that Kerry can return to Washington for a scheduled meeting with the Afghan president and so that the Iranian delegation can go home to celebrate the Persian new year. It has not been determined whether they will delay their departures to keep talking. | |
| Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. | Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Another nation blazed the trail for Iran in developing a nuclear program | Another nation blazed the trail for Iran in developing a nuclear program |
| Eager investors await open door to Iran | Eager investors await open door to Iran |