White House: The likelihood of reaching an agreement with Iran remains at 50 percent

In response to reports of progress in nuclear negotiations with Iran in Switzerland, the White House spokesperson stated that fundamental differences with Iran still persist. According to AFP, Josh Earnest said on March 17: "In the view of the President of the United States, nothing has changed; at best, everything is still fifty-fifty." The White House spokesperson reacted to comments by Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, who stated that "90 percent of the issues have been resolved," adding, "A tough deal is still ahead, and Iran must make difficult decisions and take on hard responsibilities." Mr. Earnest said, "We still need to wait for signals from all Iranian decision-makers – not just the nuclear negotiators – and it is very difficult to predict an outcome at this stage." He noted, "In the past year of negotiations, good progress has been made, although there have been obstacles that remain unresolved to this day." The White House spokesperson emphasized, "The most time has been spent negotiating the hardest issues, and the hardest issues remain unresolved." According to AFP, in exchange for 10 to 15 years of restrictions on Iran's nuclear program, sanctions against Iran may be lifted or reduced. The Iranian nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 continue in Lausanne, Switzerland. Iran and the P5+1 aim to reach a comprehensive agreement by June to finally resolve ambiguities regarding Iran's nuclear program. Previously, both sides were expected to reach a general (political) agreement by March 24.