Afkham: The 1+5 Group Has Not Presented Any New Proposal to Iran

On Friday, November 30, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry denied reports regarding the presentation of a new proposal by Western countries to resolve Iran's nuclear dispute during the Vienna negotiations. The latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and the 1+5 group began on Tuesday of this week, during which the foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, and France held intensive discussions with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister. Meanwhile, on Friday, reports emerged about a new proposal from the U.S. to Iran and Mr. Zarif's decision to return to Tehran to consult with Islamic Republic officials regarding this proposal, which Iranian negotiators in Vienna denied. The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry emphasized that the West has not presented any new plans or proposals during these negotiations, and the focus of recent discussions has been on Iran's proposals. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website, Marzieh Afkham stated: 'In the past three days, intensive and multiple bilateral and multilateral negotiations have been conducted based on various plans and initiatives from the Iranian negotiating team, the latest of which was proposed in Muscat. No new plans have been presented by the 5+1 countries.' The IRNA news agency also reported the remarks of a senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, who wished to remain anonymous, stating that it has been the Islamic Republic that has presented various plans since the Muscat negotiations. He also denied reports regarding Mr. Zarif's trip to Tehran, stating: 'The ideas discussed in the negotiations have not yet reached a stage where Dr. Zarif would take them to Tehran.' Iran and the 1+5 group have until December 3 to reach a comprehensive agreement regarding the resolution of ambiguities in Tehran's nuclear program, and Western officials say that significant disagreements remain. In this context, Mohammad Javad Zarif will once again sit down for negotiations with his American counterpart and Catherine Ashton, the representative of the European Union, on Friday night. In this context, the British Foreign Minister expressed that he is 'not optimistic' about reaching an agreement with Iran by December 3. A senior EU official stated that Iran must make a decision for a nuclear agreement. The confirmation of uranium enrichment in Iran is seen as a 'deviation from U.S. policy.' Iran denied the existence of a nuclear site in Marivan, Kurdistan. The conditions set by the Israeli Minister of Intelligence for any nuclear agreement with Iran were also mentioned. The intensive negotiations between Iran and the 1+5 group are taking place on the eve of the deadline for the nuclear agreement.