U.S. Deputy Secretary of State: There is still a chance for an agreement with Iran

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, described the recent nuclear negotiations with Iran as 'beneficial and serious' and emphasized that there is still a chance to reach an agreement with Tehran. According to Reuters, Mr. Blinken, who attended a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Wednesday, February 1, stated: 'Our assessment is that we still have a sufficient chance to reach an agreement [with Iran] that ensures the security of the United States and our allies in every respect.' He noted that the goal of the P5+1 countries is to reach an agreement on the main issues by the end of March, and then the parties will aim to finalize technical details by June. Previously, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, had emphasized that if the other side is ready, Tehran is willing to conclude negotiations in February. The last round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, which includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany, took place last week in Geneva, accompanied by bilateral talks between Tehran and Washington and several meetings between Mohammad Javad Zarif and his American counterpart, John Kerry. The European Union described this round of negotiations as beneficial, and Iran has also stated that it has made efforts to reduce differences in this round. Meanwhile, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State assured the Senate that these negotiations have been 'serious, beneficial, and precise.' Antony Blinken added that there have been advancements on some issues, but there are still disagreements on others. The U.S. Congress, which is predominantly Republican, is attempting to pass a new sanctions bill against Iran, but President Barack Obama has emphasized that passing this bill while negotiations are ongoing would mean a failure of diplomacy, and therefore he would veto it.