Zarif and Kerry's Talks Continued Late into Wednesday Night

U.S. officials say that the talks between John Kerry and Mohammad Javad Zarif, the foreign ministers of the U.S. and Iran, continued late into the night on Wednesday, January 24. One U.S. State Department official told Reuters that Kerry and Zarif had "important negotiations for five hours today, discussing various topics with a limited number of participants from both sides." The report states that Mr. Kerry returned to the Lakeside Hotel in Geneva for a third meeting with Mr. Zarif without prior scheduling. Before that, Kerry had briefed senior U.S. negotiators for technical discussions with their Iranian counterparts scheduled for Thursday. After a deadlock in nuclear negotiations in December, Iran and the six major powers resumed talks to reach a comprehensive agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program. These countries believe that a nuclear agreement with Iran is essential to reduce the risk of war in the Middle East. Earlier, Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that negotiations would be easier if the West considers the sensitivities of Muslims. Mr. Zarif also told reporters before the negotiations began that these talks demonstrate both sides' readiness to move forward and reach a nuclear agreement to limit the nuclear program and lift economic sanctions. While waiting for his American counterpart, Mr. Zarif told reporters, "I think these negotiations are important. I believe it will show both sides' readiness to move forward and expedite the process." The foreign ministers' negotiations lasted five hours on Wednesday and included a 15-minute walk in downtown Geneva in the afternoon. These negotiations are a prelude to the resumption of talks among the seven countries (Iran and the six global powers) on January 17. The deadline for reaching an agreement desired by the P5+1 countries has been extended to July 1 of next year. If an agreement is reached, sanctions imposed against Iran will be gradually lifted. Iran claims that uranium enrichment is solely for energy purposes for peaceful and civilian aims and denies Western allegations of attempting to build a nuclear bomb. Reuters further reports that Mohammad Javad Zarif also explained why Iran is dissatisfied with the latest cover of the political satire magazine Charlie Hebdo. Mr. Zarif said, "We believe that sacred values should be respected. If we do not respect mutual values, we cannot have serious discussions." Meanwhile, Mohammad Nahavandian, a close associate of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, stated before the talks began, "The government has adopted a constructive approach to resolve the nuclear issue, and there is great hope for achieving positive results." In this context, officials from the office of the Supreme Leader of Iran visited the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Zarif denied Iran's assistance in building nuclear weapons in Syria. The meeting between Zarif and Ryabkov is on the eve of nuclear negotiations.