Obama and Merkel Urge Iran to Make Necessary Decisions for a Comprehensive Agreement

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, and Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, have urged Iran to make the necessary decisions to reach a comprehensive agreement regarding its nuclear program. The leaders of these two countries spoke by phone on the 27th of March regarding the negotiations between the P5+1 countries and Iran, the latest round of which is taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland. On Friday, a U.S. State Department official expressed hope that President Hassan Rouhani's contacts with the leaders of the P5+1 countries indicate Iran's readiness to make 'difficult decisions' to reach a nuclear agreement. The White House, in a statement about the Merkel-Obama phone call, emphasized that the U.S. President and the German Chancellor 'reaffirmed their commitment to reaching a long-term and comprehensive agreement that would verifiably ensure the peaceful nature of every aspect of Iran's nuclear program, while Iran must make necessary decisions to resolve some remaining issues.' A Western official close to the negotiations told Reuters that the issues of centrifuges and uranium enrichment remain 'the most difficult unresolved issue' in the talks. Hannah Kavyani, a reporter from Radio Farda in Lausanne, noted that as time passes, more eyes are fixed on the hotel (the negotiation venue) to see if the nuclear marathon will come to an end. Meanwhile, Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, who was in Washington for a visit, stated that the parties have covered more than half the way to reach an agreement. Mr. Hammond also mentioned that he would go to Lausanne if 'any prospect of progress' in the talks is seen, as he does not want to go there 'just to spend two days in a hotel room.' According to an American official, foreign ministers from other P5+1 countries will come to Switzerland in the coming days as their schedules allow. RIA Novosti reported that Sergey Lavrov intends to arrive in Lausanne by Sunday evening. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, had previously spoken by phone with his Russian counterpart. In this context, there is a possibility of U.S. agreement to maintain the Fordow centrifuges 'without enrichment.' An Iranian diplomat stated that sanctions and research and development are two contentious issues. The foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Russia will join the negotiations in Lausanne. 'We hope that Rouhani's contacts are a sign of Iran's readiness to make difficult decisions.'