Iraqchi Accuses Some Members of 5+1 of 'Changing Positions'

A senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team stated that 'some of the solutions' agreed upon in the Lausanne framework to reach a final agreement between Iran and the 5+1 group are 'not satisfactory', and that 'the change in positions of some 5+1 countries' has made reaching a final agreement 'much more difficult'. Meanwhile, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, emphasized upon his arrival in Vienna on Saturday, July 6, that 'time is not important; only reaching a good agreement is important'. Abbas Iraqchi, in an interview with Al-Alam, affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, stressed: 'We reached good solutions in many cases in Lausanne, and now those solutions are being implemented.' However, he noted that 'in some cases we did not reach a solution in Lausanne, and some of the solutions we reached there are not satisfactory; especially since after Lausanne, some of the 5+1 countries... showed changes in their positions, which has made things much harder.' With only four days remaining until the deadline for reaching a final agreement between Iran and the six world powers, Reuters and AFP reported, citing a Western diplomat, that major disagreements regarding the lifting of sanctions and the International Atomic Energy Agency's access to Iranian facilities still persist. According to Iraqchi in the same interview published by ISNA on Saturday, 'a large part' of the final agreement text regarding Iran's nuclear program is 'finalized', but the remaining parts have 'qualitative and substantive value', and therefore it cannot be 'summarized how much progress has been made'. He also described the negotiation process as 'slow and difficult' and stated that negotiations might continue for a few days after the end of the previously agreed deadline for 'finalization'. Meanwhile, the Itar-Tass news agency, citing Russian diplomatic sources, announced that these negotiations are likely to continue until July 7 (July 16). The eighth round of negotiations for drafting the final agreement on Iran's nuclear issue has been ongoing since Wednesday, June 17, at the level of deputies of the foreign ministers of Iran and the 5+1 group in Vienna. Mohammad Javad Zarif also arrived in Vienna on Saturday and is set to negotiate with John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State. According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Zarif stated after arriving in Vienna: 'We are confident that if the other side... fulfills its obligations, meaning lifts the sanctions and simultaneously takes its actions alongside Iran's actions without being excessive, we will definitely reach an agreement that will benefit everyone.' He added: 'Of course, time is not important; only reaching a good agreement is important, and that we reach a suitable outcome.' Reports indicate that the foreign ministers of Germany, the UK, and France, as well as Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy coordinator, are expected to arrive in Vienna by Sunday.