Iran, P5+1 all set to hammer out N-deal
22 Nov 2013 11:18 PM GMT
Iran and world powers were set on Thursday to begin hammering out a landmark deal freezing parts of Tehran’s atomic programme to ease fears of the Islamic republic getting nuclear weapons.
Diplomats said the talks might still fail, with Iran’s lead negotiator echoing on Thursday comments by the supreme leader who ruled out a deal with no recognition of Iran’s ‘right’ to enrich uranium.
‘No deal that does not include the right to uranium enrichment from start to finish will be accepted,’ Abbas Araghchi said on his Twitter account, quoted by official news agency IRNA.
‘Considerable gaps remain,’ a senior Western diplomat said after Wednesday’s initial meetings in rainy Geneva. Another was more upbeat, ‘I am not saying it’s in the bag but we are in a process that started well and which could lead to a deal this weekend... We are getting to the heart of the matter.’
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was hoping for ‘solid’ deal.
Diplomats said the talks might still fail, with Iran’s lead negotiator echoing on Thursday comments by the supreme leader who ruled out a deal with no recognition of Iran’s ‘right’ to enrich uranium.
‘No deal that does not include the right to uranium enrichment from start to finish will be accepted,’ Abbas Araghchi said on his Twitter account, quoted by official news agency IRNA.
‘Considerable gaps remain,’ a senior Western diplomat said after Wednesday’s initial meetings in rainy Geneva. Another was more upbeat, ‘I am not saying it’s in the bag but we are in a process that started well and which could lead to a deal this weekend... We are getting to the heart of the matter.’
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was hoping for ‘solid’ deal.
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