End of Iran-U.S. Negotiations; Araghchi: Differences Remain

The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, attended by Mohammad Javad Zarif and John Kerry, the foreign ministers of the two countries, concluded on Monday, February 23, in Geneva, Switzerland, after three hours of discussions regarding the nuclear file. Abbas Araghchi, one of Iran's main nuclear negotiators, stated in remarks broadcast by Iranian state television that the Geneva talks have not yet reached a conclusion on "key issues." At the end of the three-hour meeting, he said, "The gaps still exist, differences remain, all parties are negotiating seriously and decisively, but we have not yet found solutions to the main issues." Abbas Araghchi added, "In many areas, the negotiations have entered into details, in some cases, solutions have been found, and it is time for political discussions. For this reason, high-level contacts between the two sides are necessary." Hannah Kavyani, a reporter from Radio Farda, reports that Mr. Zarif and Mr. Kerry were accompanied in this round of negotiations by Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Ernest Moniz, the U.S. Secretary of Energy. Additionally, Abbas Araghchi, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, and Hossein Fereidoun represented Iran, while Wendy Sherman represented the U.S., and Helga Schmid represented the P5+1 group in the negotiations. John Kerry is set to leave Geneva after these negotiations to attend a meeting in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. The new round of bilateral negotiations between Iran and the U.S. began on Friday, initially at the level of deputy foreign ministers, but escalated on Sunday with the presence of Mohammad Javad Zarif, John Kerry, Ali Akbar Salehi, and Ernest Moniz. This is the first time during the Iran-U.S. nuclear negotiations that, in addition to the foreign ministers of the two countries, other ministers and high-ranking officials are also present. Our reporter also reports on a meeting among the political directors of the P5+1 and Iran held on Sunday evening at the European Union's representative office. Meanwhile, the Chinese news agency Xinhua has reported, citing a Chinese diplomat, that another meeting among the political directors of the P5+1 and Iran will take place on the upcoming Friday and Saturday, although the location of this meeting has not yet been determined. On the other hand, Iranian news agencies have reported on plans for bilateral negotiations between Iran and Russia, although the timing is currently unspecified, even though Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, is in Geneva and attended the meeting of the political directors of the P5+1 and Iran on Sunday. Previously, Abbas Araghchi stated that the Iranian delegation considers the Geneva negotiations useful, but it is still not possible to speak of any progress. Although Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, has stated that "the composition of the Iranian negotiating team in this round of negotiations reflects the decisive will of the Iranian people for constructive engagement with the world." Mr. Rouhani also addressed the Iranian nuclear issue in his remarks on Monday, emphasizing that Iran has not hidden anything regarding uranium enrichment. He said, "At one time, we approached the Europeans for enrichment; the claim that Iran has been secretive about enrichment is a big lie. If we wanted to be secretive, why would we approach Europe and discuss it with a Western country... We spoke with the world, and each had an excuse, and ultimately we entered ourselves." In recent years, Iran has been repeatedly accused of conducting uranium enrichment in secret locations, including around Qazvin, but it has always denied this.