Facing an Impasse: Negotiators power past deadline in Iran talks

The Islamic republic demands removal of sanctions to improve its economy once again

LAUSANNE:

Major powers and Iran drew closer to a preliminary accord on reining in Tehran’s nuclear programme as marathon talks ran into Wednesday, but hit an impasse over key details such as the lifting of UN sanctions and Iran’s future atomic research.

Top diplomats worked past a midnight deadline seeking to agree upon the outlines of a nuclear deal with Iran, insisting “enough progress” had been made to continue the marathon talks.

“We’ve made enough progress in the last days to merit staying until Wednesday. There are several difficult issues still remaining,” US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond sounded a note of caution. “I think we have a broad framework of understanding, but there are still some key issues that have to be worked through,” he told the BBC.

The announcements came late on a sixth day of talks in Switzerland aimed at laying the groundwork for a deal that world powers hope will prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian programme.

Senior Iranian negotiator Hamid Baidinejad also hinted at progress, saying “many of the issues linked to the sanctions have been resolved.”

“We are in the final phase of the negotiations,” he told Iranian television, adding there were still a few “limited” issues linked to sanctions to be resolved, along with questions about Iran’s research and development.

Iran has been calling for an immediate lifting of the sanctions, while the six powers are only prepared to suspend sanctions to be able to put them back into place if Tehran violates the deal.

Under a deal to be finalised by June 30, the powers want Iran to scale back its nuclear programme to give the world ample notice of any dash to make the bomb by extending the so-called “breakout” time. In return, the Islamic republic is demanding the lifting of sanctions that have strangled its economy. But the question is how much detail will be in the framework accord that Iran and the six powers want to nail down.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.