Vienna Nuclear Talks May Go Beyond Congressional Deadline

Western negotiators were accused by the delegation from Iran at the Vienna nuclear talks of changing their stance as well as showing different positions as the discussions may not meet the deadline set by the US congress. An unnamed senior Iranian official said numerous position changes were made by their western counterparts. He also said the six world powers involved in the negotiations do not appear to have a common position.

The official said the negotiations seem to have become five bilateral negotiations instead of a multilateral negotiation. The official added that each country appear to have “their own red line.”

The official made the revelation after John Kerry said it was not necessary to rush the conclusion of the Vienna nuclear talks with Iran. The US secretary of state also said the talks may go beyond the US Congress-set deadline. If the deadline is not met, US legislators will have two months to review the agreement, which may give opponents the opportunity to rally against it.

Diplomats have said an extension of the talks may have negative consequences even as it has already gone beyond a number of self-imposed deadlines. Kerry said the talks should continue even after the deadline and it should not be rushed. Kerry added that President Barack Obama told him the negotiating team cannot stay in Vienna forever.

Laurent Fabius, foreign minister of France, said a number of “difficult points” have remained, but everything was going “in the right direction.” Fabius is hopeful that they can bring a conclusion to the negotiations.

Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran had a similar message of continuing to work on the Vienna nuclear talks. The Iranian foreign minister tweeted that they were working hard to complete the negotiations but it is important not to “Change horses in the middle of a stream.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif - image credit: abcnews.go.com

The reference to the horse seems to refer to the perception in the Iranian delegation that the initial package offered by the US was withdrawn following a video conference between President Obama and the US negotiating team. An Iranian official avoided making speculations on whether the intervention of the US president resulted to the change in the position of the US.

Questions on the lifting of the UN arms embargo on Iran was the topic in many of the heated arguments during the Vienna nuclear talks. It also focused on the lifting of financial and economic restrictions in exchange for limitations in the nuclear program of Iran.

The group of six countries negotiating with Iran was split due to the debate. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that the fist sanctions to be lifted should be the arms embargo since Iran was consistent with its support in the fight against ISIS.

The issue on the arms embargo in the Vienna nuclear talks emerged after Frederica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy head, supposedly threatened to leave if the Iranians did not show greater flexibility. Zarif reportedly said that she should not threaten an Iranian.

At one point during the discussions, Zarif said he might bring his interlocutors to an international court for the support provided by the west to Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war. But, the two sides were later pacified and Mogherini was invited by Zarif for a Persian meal on the evening of Wednesday.

The unnamed senior Iranian official said no one was leaving the negotiating table with any hard feelings. The tension and discomfort at the Vienna nuclear talks were increased when the air condition of the hotel broke down.

We're working hard, but not rushed, to get the job done. Mark my words; you can't change horses in the middle of a stream. #IranTalksVienna

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) July 9, 2015

Posted by James Fried on Saturday July 11 2015, 1:51 AM EDT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0