Zarif and Ryabkov Meet Ahead of Nuclear Negotiations

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, and Sergey Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, met in Tehran on Monday, January 22, ahead of a new round of nuclear negotiations. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Zarif's deputies were also present at the meeting, after which Ryabkov is scheduled to have a separate meeting with Abbas Araghchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, members of the Iranian negotiating team. This is the first bilateral negotiation that Iran is conducting before the new round of nuclear talks with the 1+5 countries on January 28. Prior to the meeting, Zarif stated that Iran expects its "Russian friends to play a positive role" in the nuclear negotiations. On Wednesday, the Iranian Foreign Minister will also meet with his American counterpart, John Kerry, in Geneva, which he described as a "one-day negotiation" aimed at exploring the possibility of "accelerating" the talks. Following a seven-month extension of the nuclear negotiations in early Azar (December), Iran and the 1+5 now have until July 9 to reach a comprehensive agreement. Recently, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, mentioned that during the Vienna talks, the parties were "almost in complete agreement and the generalities were almost accepted," but suddenly, "something happened that caused the other side to retreat." He stated that "many hands are at work" to prevent a nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers. Larijani: Nuclear Agreement is Not Out of Reach Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, emphasized that a nuclear agreement with the 1+5 is achievable and not out of reach, listing some conditions. According to Mehr News Agency, Larijani stated on Sunday during a meeting with Ioannis Kasoulides, the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, that "reaching a final agreement depends on the realism of the negotiating parties with Iran, recognizing the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, and avoiding political and mercantile bargaining, and in this context, reaching an agreement is not out of reach." The report mentions that the Cypriot Foreign Minister also stated that "there is a lot of optimism in the European Union regarding the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5." Nuclear Recommendations from Iranian Parliament Member Meanwhile, the head of the Parliament's Nuclear Committee named "20 strategic principles" for the nuclear negotiations, which he stated Iranian negotiators "must" adhere to. Ibrahim Karami stated in an interview with Fars News Agency that these "strategic principles" include that negotiators should not accept any limitations regarding the "construction and use of centrifuges, enrichment facilities, location, volume, and reserves of enriched materials." The number of centrifuges and the volume of enriched uranium reserves have been highlighted as key issues in the nuclear negotiations, as Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in July that Iran will need "190,000 SWU of uranium enrichment in the coming years, but the West wants to limit Iran's enrichment capacity to 10,000 SWU." Other "strategic principles" mentioned by the head of the Nuclear Committee include "conducting enrichment at the Fordow nuclear facility" and "the possibility of providing fuel above 5 percent." According to the Geneva nuclear agreement concluded last Azar (December), Iran is not allowed to enrich uranium above 5 percent. In this context, the Iranian nuclear file has once again brought Mohammad Javad Zarif to the Parliament. The IRGC warns about "internal groundwork" for nuclear retreat. Resumption of nuclear negotiations with a meeting between Iran and the US in Geneva next week. Visits by officials from the Leader's office to the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities. The US Secretary of State expressed hope for progress in nuclear negotiations with Iran. Zarif denied Iran's assistance in building nuclear weapons in Syria.