Kerry: We Witnessed Significant Progress in Vienna Nuclear Negotiations

On Monday, December 3, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Iran and the P5+1 group made considerable progress in negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement, but despite the introduction of new ideas, discussions will remain challenging in the coming months. Speaking to reporters at the end of the Vienna talks, Kerry said, "If we can reach an agreement sooner, we are looking to do so. The extension of negotiations does not mean that things will become easier. The talks have been difficult and will continue to be so in the future." Kerry noted that negotiations are not meant to go on indefinitely without serious progress, but now is not the time to withdraw from these discussions. He added, "It would be foolish to withdraw from these talks when the breakout time has been extended and the world has become safer than before." The breakout time refers to the period Iran would need to prepare for the construction of at least one nuclear bomb. Tehran has always denied seeking to build nuclear weapons. The U.S. Secretary of State emphasized, "Today we are closer than ever to reaching an agreement that will make the entire world, especially our allies and partners in the Gulf, safer and more secure." He stressed, "In the past few days in Vienna, we witnessed real and significant progress and saw new ideas being presented." However, Kerry mentioned that there are still "some significant differences" between the parties. He clarified that no additional sanctions would be lifted. According to him, "The existing sanctions against Iran will remain in place during the negotiations." On Monday, it was announced that negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 for a comprehensive nuclear agreement have been extended for another seven months, during which time another portion of Iran's frozen assets is expected to be released. The details of the new agreements between the parties have not yet been published. In another part of his remarks on Monday, Kerry said, "The U.S. Congress should give the administration the opportunity to conclude the nuclear negotiations with Iran and should not provoke Tehran by announcing new sanctions." Kerry expressed hope that Congress members would allow the process to proceed calmly for several months without sending messages that could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations. He stated that technical negotiations between representatives of Iran and the P5+1 are set to resume in December.