Zarif: Iran May Accept 10-Year Limitations on Its Nuclear Activities

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated that Iran might accept a proposal to impose 10-year limitations on certain aspects of its nuclear program. On Thursday, March 5, in an interview with CNN, Zarif refrained from providing further details on this matter. According to Reuters, Christiane Amanpour, a CNN reporter, asked Zarif about recent statements by Barack Obama regarding the need for a 10-year halt to some of Iran's sensitive nuclear activities. Zarif responded, "It depends on how you define this issue; if an agreement is reached, we (Iran) are prepared to accept specific limitations for a defined period, but I do not want to discuss the details of the negotiations in the media." The U.S. President stated on March 3 that "reaching a final nuclear agreement with Iran requires that the Islamic Republic at least suspend its sensitive nuclear activities for 10 years, and the West must be able to ensure that these activities are halted." While Zarif mentioned the possibility of accepting nuclear limitations in his CNN interview, Iranian news agencies immediately reported that he deemed Obama's statements "unacceptable." In this context, the state news agency IRNA reported on March 3 that "Mohammad Javad Zarif emphasized in response to Obama's recent remarks that the Islamic Republic of Iran has entered negotiations sincerely and will continue these negotiations until achieving the nuclear rights of the Iranian people, and will not succumb to the excessive demands and unreasonable positions of the other side." Zarif and his American counterpart John Kerry held talks in Switzerland this week aimed at achieving a "political agreement" on the nuclear issue. Iran and six world powers are expected to reach a political agreement this month and ultimately strive for a comprehensive nuclear agreement by the end of June. However, Zarif stated on Wednesday after the negotiations that "there are still many details that need to be negotiated. We must work very hard in the coming weeks." Iran and the six world powers reached a temporary nuclear agreement last December, which was extended twice, ultimately agreeing to continue negotiations until the end of June to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement. Zarif further stated in the CNN interview, "Of course, we can reach an agreement if the necessary political will exists for making tough choices. Everyone has to make a difficult choice." He added that no acceptable agreement regarding the lifting of sanctions against Iran has been achieved yet. Nevertheless, the Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized that there is still time to resolve some issues. In response to recent comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the U.S. Congress, who called a potential nuclear agreement with Iran a "serious mistake," Zarif, without mentioning Israel, remarked that "some see peace and tranquility as a threat to their existence." He stated that such remarks do not affect the negotiations.