Nuclear Negotiations Will Continue if Necessary Despite Nowruz

While the spokesperson for the Iranian government states that the nuclear talks in Lausanne have reached a "very complex and sensitive stage," ISNA news agency reports from some sources that negotiations will continue if necessary, and the arrival of Nowruz and upcoming holidays will not hinder this process. Marzieh Afkham, the spokesperson for the Iranian government, said on the evening of March 18 that negotiations have reached a "very complex and sensitive" stage. She told reporters in Tehran that both "sensitive discussions" between Mohammad Javad Zarif and John Kerry, the foreign ministers of Iran and the U.S., are ongoing, as well as "very intense and sensitive" talks between Ali Akbar Salehi and Ernest Moniz, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and the U.S. Secretary of Energy. Hana Kavyani, a reporter from Radio Farda in Lausanne, previously reported that there are two main challenges in the negotiations: one is technical, and the other concerns the lifting of sanctions. ISNA reported on March 19 that sources close to the negotiations indicated that a result would be known by the end of Thursday. However, the same news agency also cited other sources suggesting the possibility of the talks continuing until Friday and even the end of Sunday. These sources told ISNA that "if necessary and if the path to understanding is clear, the Iranian delegation is ready to continue negotiations for a few more days, and Nowruz and the arrival of the new solar year will not prevent this." The official news agency of the Islamic Republic stated that the current round of negotiations is expected to conclude on March 20 (Friday). However, Abbas Araqchi, a senior member of the Iranian negotiating team, told reporters that they will remain in negotiations as long as necessary. Marzieh Afkham stated that "efforts are underway to narrow the gaps, and technical progress is occurring, with many technical issues resolved, while political discussions continue." Concurrently, the Russian news agency Interfax reported that the Russian negotiating team, led by Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister, has joined the discussions in Lausanne. Iranian officials have stated that, apart from the U.S., foreign ministers from other countries in the P5+1 group—China, Russia, France, the UK, and Germany—are not expected to join the talks for now.