French Diplomat: The Likelihood of a Final Nuclear Agreement with Iran by the End of June is Low

One day before the start of a new round of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna, the French ambassador to the U.S. stated that Iran and the 1+5 group are likely to miss the June 30 deadline for reaching a final nuclear agreement. According to the Associated Press, Gérard Araud, the French ambassador in Washington, said on Tuesday, June 5, that it is 'very likely' that the parties will not succeed in reaching a final agreement in the next five weeks and even beyond. Speaking at an 'Atlantic Council' meeting alongside the ambassadors of Germany and the UK, Araud commented on the nuclear negotiations with Iran, stating that 'a lot of technical work remains, which means that any understanding reached may still remain full of ambiguities.' According to a report from Nader Sedighi, a Radio Farda correspondent, Araud added that 'the Iranians are not inclined to make an early agreement and, as in the past, always try to add issues to the announced points.' The French ambassador to the U.S. also referred to the details of the discussions and the difficulties related to these details, stating that 'of course, reaching a good agreement is the desire of all negotiating parties.' In the same meeting, Peter Wittig, the German ambassador to the United States, also spoke about Iran, commenting that at best, the reduction of sanctions against Iran will not be realized before the end of this calendar year. This comes as just a day earlier, Amir Hossein Zamaninia, Iran's Deputy Oil Minister, expressed hope that international sanctions against Iran would be 'completely lifted' by the end of Azar (December 21). While nuclear negotiations between Iran and the 1+5 group continue, several large economic delegations from European countries have traveled to Iran in recent months, and Iranian oil ministry officials have reported on the willingness of Western companies to return to Iran, conditional on the lifting of sanctions. The new round of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers to continue drafting the final nuclear agreement is set to begin on Wednesday, June 6, with a one-day delay. The negotiating parties in this round will include Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign ministers, and Helga Schmid, the deputy of the EU's foreign policy chief representing the 1+5 countries in the nuclear negotiations. The nuclear negotiating parties also held several sessions in Vienna last week for three days to draft a comprehensive and final agreement. Araqchi has emphasized twice in the past two weeks that the drafting process is progressing slowly. According to the report from Radio Farda, key points from the Tuesday meeting were expressed by Peter Wittig, the German ambassador in Washington. He stated that 'in the Lausanne nuclear agreement with Iran, two notable points were the timing of lifting sanctions and the details of verification, monitoring, and their mechanisms.' Wittig clarified that Lausanne also specified three goals regarding Iran's nuclear program: first, very strict limitations over the next ten years, under which Iran agreed to reduce the number of centrifuges by two-thirds, from 19,000 to about 6,100, to enrich uranium to below four percent for fifteen years, and during this time, to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium with a concentration of less than four percent from about 10,000 kilograms to 300 kilograms. During the agreement, Iran will not establish new enrichment facilities. The German ambassador continued by stating that according to the second goal, the Arak heavy water reactor will be redesigned to ensure it cannot produce the plutonium needed for nuclear weapons. Wittig identified the third goal as a key objective, stating that Iran will be subject to unprecedented and continuous verification, precise monitoring, and surprise inspections to ensure that inspectors are aware of any potential clandestine programs, including those related to the additional protocol. Wittig further stated regarding the reduction and lifting of sanctions that 'if Iran fully implements the agreement, the reduction or lifting of sanctions will begin, which includes UN, EU, and U.S. sanctions, all of which will not happen at once but gradually. Initially, economic, commercial, and financial sanctions will be lifted, but in any case, this will not happen before the end of this calendar year.' The German diplomat also emphasized the lack of trust in the Iranian government, stating that trust and confidence have been undermined in the past, and therefore, precise predictions with details have been made. The German ambassador to the U.S. also stated that 'achieving a nuclear agreement does not mean overlooking the actions of the Iranian government in the region. Other sanctions that are outside the nuclear agreement will remain in place.' Peter Westmacott, the British ambassador to the U.S., also referred to the impact of the nuclear agreement on regional relations, stating, 'We must assure regional countries that a comprehensive agreement is the best way to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons for at least the next decade.'