Russia: A Nuclear Agreement is Possible if Washington and Tehran Want It

A senior Russian diplomat stated on Saturday, November 15, that if "Washington and Tehran want it," a nuclear agreement regarding Iran's controversial nuclear program could be reached this month. The deadline for achieving a comprehensive agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group is just nine days away. According to Reuters, Sergey Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters that the six countries in the P5+1 group, which includes Russia, the U.S., the U.K., France, China, and Germany, have not yet come close to an agreement with Iran, and it is possible that this agreement could be reached on November 24. Mr. Ryabkov made this statement in Brisbane, Australia, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. He noted that there is still enough time for decision-making regarding Iran's nuclear program but added that there is no guarantee that decisions will be made in the capitals where the most issues exist, referring to Washington and Tehran. The P5+1 members are seeking assurances that Iran will not be able to produce nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Meanwhile, some officials from various countries, including Russia, have expressed doubts about reaching an agreement by the set deadline. Nevertheless, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, announced last week after talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Beijing that the two countries would make every effort to reach a comprehensive final agreement with Iran by November 24. At the same time, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing Iranian and Western official sources, that it is "unlikely" that Iran and the P5+1 will reach a final agreement on the Islamic Republic's nuclear file by December 3. These sources indicated that Iran and the world powers are likely to reach a new "temporary agreement" that would reduce sanctions pressure on Tehran while continuing discussions for a comprehensive agreement. The news agency also quoted an unnamed Iranian official stating that "what is likely to happen is that we will reach a more limited agreement than the Geneva agreement, which will reduce the economic sanctions pressure on Iran and lead to continued negotiations."