Negotiators in Lausanne Prepare to Announce Possible Results of Talks

According to a reporter from Radio Farda in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Rolex training center in the city is being prepared for a press conference to announce a possible political agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program between Iran and the 1+5 group. Meanwhile, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's chief negotiator, stated that "if a wrap-up meeting is to take place, we will go to the UN headquarters in Geneva." In this context, an unnamed senior Iranian official previously told Reuters that the negotiating parties in the nuclear talks are "very, very close to the final step, and this agreement may be signed or verbally announced." He added that Iran and the world powers are close to agreeing on a "two or three-page" document that will include specific numbers, which will form the basis for a long-term agreement. Other officials have confirmed this Iranian official's statements to Reuters but warned that there is also a possibility that the negotiations could fail in the coming days. On the other hand, on Saturday, according to ISNA news agency, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and a member of the nuclear negotiating team, denied the report about "talks on a two or three-page agreement," stating that no discussions have taken place regarding such an agreement. Meanwhile, Fars news agency reported that Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, was "very angry" during the negotiations on Saturday, April 8, in Lausanne. Abbas Araqchi explained this "anger" to reporters, saying, "The negotiations are tough, exhausting, and sometimes become tense. It is natural to have different moods in various situations, but we are hopeful." The negotiations between Iran and world powers to resolve the 12-year dispute over Iran's nuclear program have been ongoing for about 18 months and are now approaching their final deadlines. The negotiating parties are trying to reach an initial framework agreement by the end of March (Tuesday, April 11), and then sign a comprehensive agreement by June 30 that includes all technical details. In the latest round of these negotiations in Lausanne, the foreign ministers of Iran and the United States met five times on Thursday and Friday of this week. Meanwhile, AFP reports that John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, is scheduled to meet on Saturday with his French and German counterparts regarding the progress of the negotiations with Iran. Reports indicate that starting Saturday, the foreign ministers of the 1+5 countries will gradually join the negotiations for a meeting on Sunday. Hannah Kavyani tweeted about the presence of Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister, in Lausanne. The Chinese news agency Xinhua writes that the Chinese Foreign Minister will join the negotiations on Sunday; the foreign ministers of Russia and Britain also plan to join the negotiations over the weekend. The comprehensive agreement that these countries are seeking is expected to ultimately alleviate Western concerns about the potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program. The Islamic Republic is also seeking an agreement that, while lifting global sanctions against it, will keep Iran's nuclear infrastructure intact as much as possible. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, called on Iran on Friday to make the necessary decisions to reach a comprehensive agreement regarding its nuclear program. In this context, the Lausanne negotiations reflect the urgency for Iran to make difficult decisions, as indicated by Obama and Merkel's statements. An Iranian diplomat noted that sanctions and research and development are two contentious issues, and there are "two dangers that could threaten the final agreement."