Unified Position of Western Powers: It's Time for Iran to Make Tough Decisions

The United States, along with Britain, Germany, and France, the member countries of the 5+1 group in nuclear negotiations with Iran, emphasized the existence of a "common goal" among themselves and stated that it is time for the Islamic Republic to make "tough decisions." The joint position of the Western negotiating countries has emerged in the latest round of nuclear discussions over the past few days, among a wide range of political figures, from Ayatollah Khamenei to Barack Obama and other senior officials. The foreign ministers of the Western countries; John Kerry, Laurent Fabius, Philip Hammond, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, gathered in London on the first of Farvardin to discuss the latest achievements and the progress of nuclear negotiations. Following this meeting, a statement was released by Philip Hammond, the British Foreign Secretary, stating: "We believe that a fundamental progress has occurred in the negotiations; however, there are still significant issues that have not yet reached an agreement." John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, also emphasized that all four countries are united on objectives, methods to achieve them, solutions, and seriousness in proving the peaceful nature of Iran's entire nuclear program. The issue of how to lift sanctions remains one of the most important points of contention between the parties. According to reports, the United States is seeking a gradual lifting of sanctions in response to steadfast actions from Tehran. On the other hand, France is calling for a "symbolic lifting" of sanctions that have been imposed on Tehran over the years. In Iran, however, different statements are being made. Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in a speech in Mashhad on the first of Farvardin, stated that the lifting of sanctions must be "part of the nuclear negotiations" with the 5+1 countries and should be without any gap from the agreement, not a result of it. The nuclear negotiations are set to resume on the fifth of Farvardin, with the initial aim of guiding the parties to a comprehensive agreement by the end of March (in 9 days). However, it is unclear whether the negotiating parties will reach a comprehensive agreement by the initially announced deadline. The French ambassador in Washington recently stated on his Twitter account that "setting the end of March as a definitive deadline is unproductive and dangerous." Furthermore, it is uncertain whether the remaining issues can be resolved merely with the passage of time; the U.S. Secretary of State himself, prior to meeting with his European counterparts, despite emphasizing the need for "real progress," stated, "We are not in a hurry... but we understand that fundamental decisions must be made now; time will not make them easier." Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, had previously stated that the remaining disagreements "could have been" resolved in the Lausanne negotiations.