Obama's Discussion with American Delegation on Nuclear Negotiations Progress

As the new deadline for concluding nuclear negotiations between Tehran and world powers has been extended until Friday, the President of the United States, during a video call with the Secretary of State and his delegation in Vienna, inquired about the details of progress in the negotiations. A brief statement released by the White House on July 7 states, "The President has reviewed the progress made in the negotiations to date and has provided guidance regarding our ongoing efforts to reach a good agreement between the 5+1 group and Iran that meets our needs." In this private video conference, the President's security advisory team was also present. This brief statement was released while Barack Obama emphasized in a meeting with Democratic representatives of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, July 7, that the White House is not seeking a "bad deal." Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of the three European countries that make up the so-called 5+1 group are gathering once again at the negotiation site. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, arrived in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon, July 7, and Laurent Fabius and Philip Hammond, the foreign ministers of France and the UK, will also be in Vienna. In recent days, at times all six foreign ministers from the negotiating countries were at the negotiation table with Mohammad Javad Zarif and the Iranian delegation. However, the main discussions have taken place between John Kerry and Zarif, the foreign ministers, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Ernest Moniz, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, along with officials from both countries. The Associated Press reports that diplomats said on Tuesday that major technical issues have been resolved, but two meetings between Salehi and Moniz on Wednesday, lasting at least three hours, indicate that problems remain which only technical specialists can resolve. Iranian journalists present in Vienna quoted Salehi as saying that discussions on technical amendments are progressing. Salehi, who had stepped out for a moment to walk, stated that negotiations on the amendments are progressing. Reports have also emerged about the negotiations in recent days, which a Western official described as "very, very, very difficult." Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, has stated that Tehran is preparing for the post-negotiation or post-sanction era. The Iranian Foreign Minister also mentioned in a note published by the British newspaper Financial Times that the final agreement is "within reach." Discussions will continue on Thursday.