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VIENNA. — Iran and six world powers were close to an historic nuclear agreement yesterday that could resolve a more than 12-year dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but they remained deadlocked on the issue of Iranian arms and missile trade.
Over the past two weeks, Iran, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have twice extended a deadline for completing a long-term deal under which Tehran would curb sensitive nuclear activities for more than a decade in exchange for sanctions relief. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said yesterday he could not rule out that there would be an agreement in the coming hours.
But the Iranian state broadcaster Press TV cited an Iranian official as saying it was unlikely an agreement would be reached yesterday.
US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi were meeting yesterday morning. Salehi told reporters, “Hopefully today is the last day.” Moniz added: “We’re going to resolve the last issues, if we can.” However, a senior Western diplomat said it was “very doubtful” the talks would finish yesterday. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has praised Russia’s efforts to facilitate the progress of ongoing negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 states aimed at reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal.
“I consider it my duty to thank Russia for the efforts it has made in resolving and negotiating the Iranian nuclear programme, and for the personal efforts made by Mr (Foreign Minister Sergei) Lavrov,” Rouhani said at yesterday meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the joint summits of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Russian city of Ufa. — Reuters/Press TV.
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