Optimism Expressed by Iran and Europe Regarding Nuclear Negotiations Outcome

A senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team has assessed progress in the latest round of negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program in Switzerland as "greater" than in previous months, while the highest-ranking EU official present at the talks considers a "good agreement" to be "within reach." According to the state news agency IRNA, Abbas Araqchi stated in an interview with the Press TV network, affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, on Thursday evening, March 5, that "in fact, in previous rounds of negotiations in Geneva, we made some progress after several months, but this time we can say we have made more progress, although we still have a long way to go." He added, "Now we know the details on every issue, we are aware of the differences between the two sides. There are various ways and different solutions that both sides are presenting." Meanwhile, Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, also stated on Friday, March 6, that "a good agreement is within reach" and expressed her commitment to bringing the nuclear negotiations with Iran to a "positive conclusion." According to Mogherini, if a "good" agreement is not reached, "there will be no agreement at all." Araqchi noted that the next round of negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program will take place on March 15, approximately ten days later. The nuclear talks between the deputies of the foreign ministers of Iran and the P5+1 countries concluded in Montreux, Switzerland, on Thursday evening. On Wednesday, a quadrilateral meeting was held between Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's deputy foreign ministers, with representatives from Germany, France, and the UK. Reports indicate that the next meeting is scheduled to take place from March 14 to March 19, but the location has yet to be determined. Araqchi further commented on remarks regarding the deadline for negotiations by the end of March, stating, "Our deadline is the end of June, but in Vienna... we agreed to reach at least some understanding of the overall framework of the agreement by the end of March. This does not mean we have to reach an agreement before March." Iran and the six global powers are expected to reach a political agreement this month and ultimately aim for a comprehensive nuclear agreement by the end of June. Meanwhile, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the Iranian government spokesman, also stated on Wednesday, February 25, that "in terms of timing, we are bound to conclude the negotiations by the 30th of March next year at the latest." A senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team mentioned that the timing for political decision-making will come after the technical discussions reach a conclusion, adding, "Both sides must interact in the realm of technical discussions... sometimes technical discussions lead to technical solutions that facilitate better political decision-making." On Saturday, February 21, technical nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. were held in Geneva with the presence of Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Ernest Moniz, U.S. Secretary of Energy. At the same time, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, stated on Saturday, February 28, that there has been "significant progress" in technical areas during the recent bilateral nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S., but differences remain in "other nuclear areas" and sanctions. Araqchi remarked, "It is up to the other side to make important decisions; whether to pursue more sanctions and pressure or to seek an agreement... this is a significant part of our negotiations." Last week, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, and several other government officials repeatedly called for the lifting of Western sanctions against Iran. For instance, Rouhani stated on Wednesday, February 25, that "our negotiating counterpart must understand that the end of these negotiations and the result of the agreement should be the removal of all unjust and illegal sanctions."