France and Britain: Iran Must Make a Tough Choice for Nuclear Agreement

The French representative at the United Nations has warned that progress in some areas of nuclear negotiations with Iran has been insufficient, stating that Tehran must make a tough choice to gain global trust. According to Reuters, Francois Delattre, France's ambassador to the UN, said on April 4 in a Security Council meeting that progress in negotiations, especially regarding research and development and sanctions, has been 'inadequate.' He stated, 'If Iran truly wants to gain the trust of the international community, it must make a tough choice.' One unresolved issue in the nuclear negotiations, according to Western officials, is that Tehran wants no limitations on the research and development of advanced centrifuges, which the West claims could be used to produce nuclear weapons. Another issue is the immediate lifting of sanctions after an agreement is reached. Simultaneously, Peter Wilson, the British representative, also stated in the Security Council that Tehran 'must show more flexibility and make a tough choice to reach an agreement (in the nuclear negotiations).' David Pressman, the deputy representative of the United States at the UN, mentioned that 'there are still significant gaps and important choices to be made.' He noted that the parties are trying to see if they can reach a political agreement by the end of March (within the next week) that 'addresses the main issues of a comprehensive agreement.' Vitaly Churkin, the Russian representative, emphasized Moscow's efforts, stating, 'We are all working to find a definitive and comprehensive resolution to the issues related to Iran's nuclear program and the lifting of UN Security Council sanctions.' Previously, senior Western officials had urged Iran to make a decision and not postpone it. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated on April 1, 'We are not in a hurry... but we understand that fundamental decisions must be made now; time will not make them easier.' On the other hand, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, in a veiled response to the U.S. President's Nowruz message, wrote on his Twitter page on March 19, 'Iranians have made their choice: honorable participation. Now it is the turn of the U.S. and its allies to choose: pressure or agreement.' The official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, reported that Zarif spoke on Tuesday in a phone call with his Chinese counterpart, Hong Li, about 'solutions to the remaining issues for the nuclear agreement.' The latest round of nuclear negotiations will resume on April 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that Wendy Sherman, the Deputy Secretary of State, and members of the U.S. negotiating team will depart for Lausanne on April 5 to join Secretary of State John Kerry for meetings with Iranian officials.