Negotiations in Vienna, Reactions in Tehran; Kayhan: The Hardliners Were Right

The Iran newspaper, in the front page headline of its Saturday issue on July 20, has titled the 'main source of disagreement' in the negotiations as the discussions related to 'arms sanctions,' stating: 'The nuclear talks, which were expected to conclude by Thursday, will continue until Monday, after a tangible stroke in the forward momentum of the negotiations.' The Etemad newspaper, in its front page, titled 'The Commotion of Agreement,' emphasized that 'Iran and the 1+5 have crossed the red line of July 9 and continued negotiations,' citing 'informed sources' that 'if disagreements do not end by tonight, Monday will be a day of potential agreement.' This newspaper emphasized that 'Thursday was a day of tribune duels and blame division.' The Shargh newspaper, describing what is happening in Vienna, quoted British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond as saying: 'Negotiations are painfully slow.' The Kayhan newspaper, which is published under the supervision of the Supreme Leader's representative, stated in its Saturday issue: 'The hardliners were right; America was not trustworthy.' The Javan newspaper also emphasized that 'the Vienna negotiations have now reached a point where one might use the term daily extensions to describe them,' stating: 'The three-day extension of negotiations occurred after yesterday morning's meeting between Ms. Mogherini and the foreign ministers of the 1+5, indicating that the West is unwilling to miss the opportunity to negotiate with Iran; an opportunity that will not be available for years to come.' The Jam-e Jam newspaper highlighted the reaction of Ali Akbar Velayati, the international affairs advisor to the Supreme Leader, to the latest developments in the negotiations between Iran and the 1+5 countries, quoting him as saying: 'If a definitive resolution is not reached by the deadline, the duration can be extended by mutual agreement.' The Aftab Yazd newspaper reported on the phenomenon of 'abandoned infants,' stating that the prevalence of this phenomenon has reached a level that has prompted a reaction from the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare. The Shargh newspaper reported the death of Shahram Mohammadi, a worker at the Marun petrochemical plant, stating: 'Shahram Mohammadi, the self-sacrificing worker from Khuzestan who prevented the explosion of the main gas valve of the hexane petrochemical plant in Mahshahr, died at 11 AM on Friday due to injuries sustained from the fire' in Chamran Hospital in Tehran. The Arman newspaper reported on the '500 billion dollar loss of educated unemployment,' stating: 'The unemployment rate among educated individuals is 30 percent higher than the average unemployment rate.' The Jahane San'at newspaper reported the resignation of Alireza Jahangirian, the head of the Civil Aviation Organization, mentioning the crash of an Iran 140 aircraft near Mehrabad Airport on August 19, 2014, as one of the reasons for this resignation. This newspaper wrote: 'Although nearly a year has passed since this incident, the head of the Civil Aviation Organization was forced to resign, and this resignation was immediately met with the official approval of the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, yet the public is still awaiting the announcement of the results of the report on the cause of the Iran 140 aircraft crash, which was supposed to land in Tabas shortly after taking off from Mehrabad, but the passengers were silenced forever moments after takeoff near the airport.' The source of disagreement in the negotiations; 'Arms sanctions.' The Iran newspaper, in the front page headline of its Saturday issue on July 20, identified the main source of disagreement in the negotiations as the discussions surrounding 'arms sanctions' and reported that 'the nuclear talks, which were expected to conclude by Thursday, will continue until Monday, after a tangible stroke in the forward momentum of the negotiations.' This newspaper also reported on the 'main source of disagreement' citing 'an Iranian official,' though without naming him, stating: 'The change in the position of the opposing side' has become the main source of the deadlock, and mentioned 'bringing back to the table issues that had previously been resolved' as the 'reason for the negotiations straying from the accessible agreement track.' The Iran newspaper also quoted 'an informed source' close to the Iranian negotiating team as saying: 'We have witnessed changes in multiple topics, especially since Wednesday night. These topics range from sanctions to the duration of the agreement to nuclear issues,' and now 'the dispute over the interpretation of some countries regarding the Lausanne understanding is ongoing.' This 'diplomatic official' also told the Iran newspaper: 'Our feeling is that there is still an effort to maintain sanctions instead of overcoming them.' The newspaper reported that 'other informed sources' stated: 'The American team, after consultations via video conference with the President of the United States on Thursday morning, is retreating from the agreements made regarding the lifting of Iran's arms sanctions.' Maryam Salari, the Iran newspaper's correspondent in Vienna, emphasized that reaching the topic of 'arms sanctions' has slowed the negotiation process, stating that 'until late last week, everything was going well; official and unofficial news, although contradictory, had even led the most pessimistic attendees and observers to conclude that a final agreement would be reached, but most attendees were unaware of what had transpired behind closed doors that had clouded the diplomatic atmosphere in Vienna. Eventually, signs leaked out, and news quickly circulated among journalists; a tense session on Tuesday centered around the disagreement regarding the lifting or continuation of Iran's arms sanctions.' This newspaper noted reports published about 'tension' during the negotiations, stating that one of the sessions 'was so tense that some journalists believed the following day's negotiations were more about comforting each other than regular negotiations,' and 'what made the atmosphere more challenging was Obama's confidential video conference with the American nuclear team. Everyone was waiting for John Kerry to announce the results of his discussions with his superior at the White House to journalists, but before the U.S. Secretary of State's presence, Zarif's message on Twitter diminished the importance of Kerry's announcement, as Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote: 'Take this seriously; you cannot change your horse in the middle of the race.' The Iran newspaper described this statement by Mohammad Javad Zarif as 'Zarif's warning to the West,' stating: 'This means that the American side has not adhered to the previous agreements and has come to the negotiation table with new conditions at the 90th minute of the negotiations.' 'Tribune duels and blame division' in the Vienna negotiations. The Etemad newspaper, in its front page titled 'The Commotion of Agreement,' emphasized that 'Iran and the 1+5 have crossed the red line of July 9 and continued negotiations,' citing 'informed sources' that 'if disagreements do not end by tonight, Monday will be a day of potential agreement.' Sara Masoumi, the Etemad newspaper's correspondent in Vienna, wrote: 'Thursday was a day of tribune duels and blame division. When Iran and the 1+5 missed the June 30 deadline, crossing this predetermined red line did not attract much attention, and some negotiators on both sides of this marathon insisted that the main deadline was July 9.' Even 'journalists who spent the last two weeks in Vienna were hopeful that by the evening of July 9, the balance of negotiations would shift toward an agreement, and the comprehensive nuclear agreement would quickly reach American lawmakers for review within a 30-day period.' The Etemad newspaper's correspondent noted the hopes on Wednesday, stating: 'The coverage of the consecutive meetings between the teams of the seven countries present in the negotiations on Wednesday was done in the hope that perhaps Thursday would be the big day after 13 years of negotiations,' and Thursday morning arrived with 'the special tent for journalists at the Palais Coburg filled from the early hours of the day with photographers and journalists who had come to place the phrase 'Agreement Reached' on their media outputs a few hours later,' but 'crossing noon on Thursday without the necessary political and technical movement at the Palais Coburg hotel indicated that Thursday would not be the day of agreement.' This newspaper noted the 'significant presence of John Kerry' among journalists on Thursday afternoon, stating that the U.S. Secretary of State emphasized that 'we have come to reach an agreement, not just to negotiate,' saying: 'As I mentioned in my talks with Obama, we are not going to sit at the negotiating table forever,' but emphasized that 'we should not leave the negotiating table so easily just because the clock strikes midnight.' The Etemad newspaper assessed the most important part of the U.S. Secretary of State's remarks as his emphasis on the necessity of a 'decades-long' agreement, stating: 'The head of the U.S. diplomacy dedicated a large portion of his speech to reiterating the need for a good agreement, but for the first time stated that the comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran must be an agreement that is not only good for days, weeks, and months, but suitable for decades.' The Etemad newspaper wrote that the U.S. Secretary of State 'mixed some good news into his sharp remarks, mentioning real progress that he suspects has occurred in the negotiations.' The Shargh newspaper also reported on its front page on Saturday titled 'Lead Seconds of Vienna,' stating: 'The third deadline has been missed; it seems that those who were not initially worried about the deadline are the winners. Three times the zero hour has passed, and the doors remain closed, and negotiations continue.' Zeynab Ismaili, the Shargh newspaper's correspondent in Vienna, wrote in her report: 'The conclusion has not yet arrived; it is still unclear where this 22-month train will drop off its passengers. The passengers have been trapped in negotiations for 14 days; some in the Coburg Palace, others in the journalists' white tent, and some in the Marriott hotel lobby,' but 'this is not the whole story. Hundreds of news media from around the world have gathered in Vienna, the city of sudden climates, with millions of audiences following the news of the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the 1+5.' The Shargh newspaper stated: According to a New York Times reporter, 'it seems we have returned to 2500 years ago; Iran and Greece are at the forefront of the news.' 'Athens due to the internal crisis and saying no to the European Union, and Iran negotiating to reach a final agreement with the representatives of the world regarding its nuclear program.' According to this newspaper, 'European foreign ministers have traveled to their capitals and returned to Vienna so many times that the number has escaped journalists. These days, mostly John Kerry and Javad Zarif, the foreign ministers of the U.S. and Iran, have remained alone at the negotiation site. For several days, Federica Mogherini has also joined this group, and it seems that many of the conditions are not satisfactory.' The Shargh newspaper pointed out the 1+5 countries' desire to reach an agreement, stating that 'during two instances of leaving Vienna by foreign ministers, Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, remained at the negotiation site and engaged in bilateral negotiations with the Iranian foreign minister. Although in recent days Germany has taken a tougher stance on the nuclear negotiations and spoken of the need for more inspections, it seems that Germany is less eager for an agreement than others. It seems that all 1+5 partners are eager to see the results of their hours of negotiations and for this 12-year crisis to come to an end.' The newspaper wrote that Philip Hammond, the British foreign minister, describes what is happening in Vienna better than others: 'Negotiations are painfully slow.' The Shargh newspaper also reported that the U.S. Secretary of State told reporters in the late hours of Friday night: 'Since morning [Friday], we have had meetings. Decisions have been made on several contentious issues, and significant progress has been made.' John Kerry emphasized that the atmosphere prevailing over the negotiations has been constructive and useful, adding: 'We focused on several very difficult issues. We will continue negotiations tonight and tomorrow. We have also resolved some issues that had previously remained unresolved.' The Kayhan newspaper, which is published under the supervision of the Supreme Leader's representative, stated in its Saturday issue: 'The hardliners were right; America was not trustworthy.' This newspaper emphasized that 'the American negotiating team, after a video conference consultation with Barack Obama, the President of the United States in Washington on Wednesday night, has retreated from agreements previously reached with Iran.' It wrote: 'It is highly likely that America, by backtracking on the terms of the Lausanne agreement, is not at all seeking to disrupt the framework of Lausanne, but is looking to create conditions that make Iran a staunch defender of the Lausanne agreement.' Kayhan emphasized that 'a good agreement means full adherence to Iran's red lines,' stating: 'The Iranian nuclear negotiating team explicitly stated after the Lausanne agreement that no agreement was reached in Lausanne, and the maximum that occurred was an understanding on a series of solutions for key issues without legal obligation.' This newspaper described the Lausanne understanding as a violation of red lines, stating: 'A glance at the text of the Lausanne understanding clearly shows that Iran's commitments are clear and measurable, but what the opponent has undertaken is vague, ambiguous, and interpretable, and this understanding has violated Iran's red lines in multiple instances.' Kayhan also recalled that it had previously 'predicted in numerous reports and notes, based on the course of events, that reaching a desirable agreement with America is impossible.' The Javan newspaper also reported from Vienna that 'the Vienna negotiations have now reached a point where one might use the term daily extensions to describe them.' Mehdi Poursefa, the reporter for this newspaper, noted the presence of Mohammad Javad Zarif along with Hossein Fereydoun and Abbas Araghchi on the balcony of the Coburg hotel on Saturday, stating that the Iranian foreign minister 'announced the continuation of efforts to find a solution by Sunday' and 'in this balcony interview, he reminded that the most important issues remain unresolved and we hope that with the political will, all issues will be resolved.'