Kerry presses Iran’s FM to reach nuke deal outline
8 Feb 2015 12:57 AM GMT
US Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iran’s foreign minister on the Obama administration’s desire to reach the outline of a nuclear deal by the end of March, in keeping with a target set by negotiators last year.
Kerry delivered the message to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif during a two-hour meeting on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich, according to a US official. Kerry “reiterated our desire to move toward a political framework by the end of March,” the official said. “They agreed to stay in close touch and that they would try to meet again soon.” The official was not authorized to discuss the meeting publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany will resume negotiations with Iran soon, with an eye on the March target they set in November after missing two earlier deadlines.
Their ultimate goal is to reach a final agreement by July that would, in exchange for a lifting of sanctions, address international concerns that Iran may be using a civilian atomic energy program as cover to try to develop nuclear weapons.
Despite assurances from the administration that it will not accept any deal with Iran that allows the capability to construct a bomb, the prospect of an agreement that may only keep Iran on the threshold of such a step has alarmed many allies, including Israel and the Gulf Arab states, along with many in Congress.
Meeting later with foreign ministers and senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Kerry pledged anew that “no deal is better that a bad deal,” according to senior US officials who attended the session.
Kerry delivered the message to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif during a two-hour meeting on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich, according to a US official. Kerry “reiterated our desire to move toward a political framework by the end of March,” the official said. “They agreed to stay in close touch and that they would try to meet again soon.” The official was not authorized to discuss the meeting publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany will resume negotiations with Iran soon, with an eye on the March target they set in November after missing two earlier deadlines.
Their ultimate goal is to reach a final agreement by July that would, in exchange for a lifting of sanctions, address international concerns that Iran may be using a civilian atomic energy program as cover to try to develop nuclear weapons.
Despite assurances from the administration that it will not accept any deal with Iran that allows the capability to construct a bomb, the prospect of an agreement that may only keep Iran on the threshold of such a step has alarmed many allies, including Israel and the Gulf Arab states, along with many in Congress.
Meeting later with foreign ministers and senior officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Kerry pledged anew that “no deal is better that a bad deal,” according to senior US officials who attended the session.
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