Nuke talks to miss target; Iran foreign minister heads home

[webfact]

Nuke talks to miss target; Iran foreign minister heads home
By GEORGE JAHN

VIENNA (AP) — A senior U.S. official acknowledged Sunday that Iran nuclear talks will go past their June 30 target date, as Iran's foreign minister prepared to head home for consultations before returning to push for a breakthrough.

Iranian media said Mohammed Javad Zarif's trip was planned in advance. Still, the fact that he was leaving the talks so close to what had been the Tuesday deadline reflected both that the talks had a ways to go and his need to get instructions on how to proceed on issues where the sides remain apart — among them how much access Tehran should give to U.N. experts monitoring his country's compliance to any deal.

The United States insists on more intrusive monitoring than Iran is ready to give. With these and other disputes still unresolved, the likelihood that the Tuesday target deadline for an Iran nuclear deal could slip was increasingly growing even before the U.S. confirmation.

The dispute over access surfaced again Sunday, with Iranian Gen. Masoud Jazayeri saying that any inspection by foreigners of Iran's military centers is prohibited.

He said the attempt by the U.S. and its allies to "obtain Iran's military information for years ... by the pressure of sanctions" will not succeed.

But German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who joined the talks Friday, said Iran's "nuclear activities, no matter where they take place," must be verifiable.

Officials said they could not speculate on how many days' extension the talks would need. But Zarif told reporters that he planned to come back only on Tuesday, the day the negotiations were originally supposed to end with a deal.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Zarif met in Vienna for their third encounter since Saturday. The foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany came — and then went, or planned to leave, in another reflection that the sides were not yet close to a deal.

For weeks, all seven nations at the negotiating table insisted that Tuesday remains the formal deadline for a deal. But with time running out, a senior U.S. official acknowledged that was unrealistic.

"Given the dates, and that we have some work to do ... the parties are planning to remain in Vienna beyond June 30 to continue working," said the official, who demanded anonymity in line with State Department practice.

Asked about the chances for a deal, Federica Mogherini, the European Union's top diplomat, told reporters: "It's going to be tough ... but not impossible." Hammond spoke of "major differences" in the way of a deal.

Steinmeier told German media: "I am convinced that if there is no agreement, everyone loses."

"Iran would remain isolated. A new arms race in a region that is already riven by conflict could be the dramatic consequence."

Both sides recognize that there is leeway to extend to July 9. As part of an agreement with the U.S. Congress, lawmakers then have 30 days to review the deal before suspending congressional sanctions.

But postponement beyond that would double the congressional review period to 60 days, giving both Iranian and U.S. critics more time to work on undermining an agreement.

Arguing for more time to allow the U.S. to drive a harder bargain, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a fierce opponent of the talks — weighed in on Sunday against "this bad agreement, which is becoming worse by the day."

"It is still not too late to go back and insist on demands that will genuinely deny Iran the ability to arm itself with nuclear weapons," he said.

The goal of the talks involving Iran and the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia is a deal that would crimp Tehran's capacity to make nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran insists it does not want such arms but is bargaining in exchange for sanctions relief.

On Saturday, diplomats told The Associated Press that Iran was considering a U.S.-backed plan for it to send enriched uranium to another country for sale as reactor fuel, a step that would resolve one of several outstanding issues.
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Associated Press writers Bradley Klapper and Matthew Lee in Vienna, Ali Akbar Dareini in Tehran and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-29

[ezzra]

Could it be that even Obama woke up from his delusional stopper to realize who is he

dealing with? and that he's giving them a lot more credits that they deserve to get, which

is none under the best circumstances, the Iranian are the most conniving and skilled

negotiators in the world and can run rings around any US or European negotiators

whom, by all account, are chomping at the bits and can't wait to run and continue

doing petro business with Iran where they have left off...

[sdanielmcev]

If this was baseball, Lurch would still be hitting off the tee. Obama really should have thought this through. You don't sit down with these guys from an inferior position. They ain't your friends. Never will be.

[Srikcir]

Despite Khomenei's recent little "No Way" speech on rejecting the P-6 deal, the P-6 remain amazingly resolute and unified.

That may explain Zarif's sudden but previously planned return to Iran for a "Now what do we do because we have run out of options" discussion.

And now with Iran's support of the Yemmen insurgency, Saudi Arabia has cause to join in any Iranian action to curb its nuclear weapons aspirations.

Khomenei's head is stuck in the time of the Carter and Reagan administrations and he can't see the sunshine of the present.

[Halion]

Just how bloody inept are the self proclaimed leaders of the free world when now for at least a decade they have been played like a violin by heir Iranian counterparts. Shut Iran down by massive sanctions and travel restrictions. Isolate them totally from the rest of the world. If you can not influence the politicians then influence the Iranian public that their support for their leaders will result in dire hardship and severe deprivation. Enough is enough. The US is approaching this problem with the same attitude that they are dealing with their race issues

[Mudcrab]

Just how bloody inept are the self proclaimed leaders of the free world when now for at least a decade they have been played like a violin by heir Iranian counterparts. Shut Iran down by massive sanctions and travel restrictions. Isolate them totally from the rest of the world. If you can not influence the politicians then influence the Iranian public that their support for their leaders will result in dire hardship and severe deprivation. Enough is enough. The US is approaching this problem with the same attitude that they are dealing with their race issues

The world has changed, yet again.

The US need Iran to fight ISIS.

[ABCer]

Three points. All three of a general nature:

1) USA and/or the World do not need Iran to fight ISIS.

2) The World and /or USA do not need to fight ISIS.

3) When Nuke talks miss Iran - the fallout affects neighbors.

The last one meaning:

Saudis will also want to go nuclear;

Israelis will stop being enemy No1 of the ME;

'Palestinians' will go back to being not a Nation;

Russians will have to get closer to Iran;

The Great Sassanid Empire will be back again!

Edited June 30, 2015 by ABCer