Iranian Negotiator: If No General Agreement by Sunday Night, Extension Will Be Considered

According to ISNA, a member of the Iranian negotiating team regarding Tehran's nuclear program with the 5+1 countries has reported that if the parties do not reach a 'political and general agreement' by Sunday night in Vienna, the option of extending the Geneva agreement will be discussed. This unnamed Iranian negotiator emphasized that the discussions are focused on a 'political and general agreement' rather than a 'comprehensive agreement.' The Iranian negotiator further stated that the likelihood of reaching a 'comprehensive agreement' by December 3 has been dismissed, adding, 'We are striving to reach an understanding on the general principles of the agreement, including enrichment dimensions, the number of centrifuges, the timeline of activities, how sanctions will be lifted, and activities at Fordow, Arak, etc.' Negotiations for a 'comprehensive agreement' regarding Iran's nuclear program have been ongoing since a temporary agreement was reached in Geneva last December. This temporary agreement has already been extended once, and its deadline is set to expire on Sunday, December 3. The Iranian negotiator added, 'It can be confidently said that all parties are serious and determined to reach an agreement, while only two days remain until the deadline for comprehensive negotiations, and no discussions have yet taken place regarding the extension of the agreement.' Earlier, Reuters reported, citing a European diplomat, that reaching a comprehensive and final agreement by the deadline on Sunday is facing low probability. The fourth round of trilateral talks between the foreign ministers of Iran and the United States, Mohammad Javad Zarif and John Kerry, along with Catherine Ashton, the coordinator of the nuclear negotiations, concluded on Saturday, December 2. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, also met separately with Mr. Kerry and Mr. Zarif in Vienna. On Saturday, the Iranian foreign minister, in response to a reporter's question about the situation, briefly stated, 'God willing, it will be good.' Meanwhile, the official Islamic Republic news agency, IRNA, reported that the sixth and final installment of the second phase of the temporary Geneva agreement, amounting to $400 million, has matured. According to this news agency, with the payment of the fourth installment, a total of $6.1 billion has been deposited into the Central Bank of Iran's account over two phases. IRNA stated that the fifth installment of the temporary Geneva agreement, which matured in mid-November, has not yet been deposited into the Central Bank's account.