Zarif: It Seems No One in Iran is Prepared to Extend Negotiations

Iran's Foreign Minister described the prospect of extending nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 group as "difficult"; he emphasized that he has not yet seen signs of political will from the Western side to reach an agreement. Mr. Zarif, in an interview with Fars News Agency on Wednesday, January 8, regarding the extension of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 group in the event of no agreement, said: "It is very difficult for me to imagine that this time can be extended." He added: "Last time we thought there was no need for an extension and we should reach a result without an extension, and we have the same view this time. It seems that no one in the Islamic Republic is prepared for an extension this time." On the same day, in an interview with Mehr News Agency, the Iranian Foreign Minister also stated: "It is necessary that if the Western side seeks to reach an agreement, they act more quickly because time is limited, and the patience of the Islamic Republic for reaching an endless solution is not infinite." Iran and the six global powers, which reached a six-month nuclear agreement last December, have so far extended the interim Geneva agreement twice due to the failure to reach a comprehensive nuclear understanding. It has been agreed that the parties will reach a "political agreement" by March and a final nuclear agreement by July 10. On Monday, January 29, the Iranian Foreign Minister described negotiations with his American counterpart John Kerry as "frank and serious" and said: "The negotiations have become complex, and we have entered into details, and if the other side is prepared, we are ready to reach a result in February, on the anniversary of the victory of the revolution." On Wednesday, Zarif clarified in an interview with Etemad newspaper regarding his statements: "If there is political will, there is a possibility of reaching an agreement, but not under any conditions. This is a big if." He added: "Reaching this political will is a very important issue that we have not yet seen signs of in our counterpart." Mr. Zarif's remarks come as Marzieh Afkham, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday: "The gaps between Iran and the negotiating parties have slightly decreased, and we hope to reach a political understanding with political will." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, February 6, that it is possible that "a final nuclear agreement between Iran and the powers may be reached in the coming weeks," but this agreement (from Israel's perspective) will be "bad" and "unacceptable." Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress, which is predominantly Republican, is attempting to pass new sanctions against Tehran, but President Barack Obama has warned that this action by Congress would mean the failure of diplomacy and therefore he would veto it. On Wednesday, the Iranian Foreign Minister also stated in his interview with Mehr News Agency: "Currently, there is agreement on the generalities of these two issues, meaning that Iran's nuclear program will be at the level of enrichment, none of Iran's nuclear facilities will be closed, sanctions will be lifted, and there will be discussions on monitoring according to the Geneva agreement." Mr. Zarif added: "Regarding the details of when the sanctions will be lifted and what actions will trigger this, it is completely clear to me, but the other side has not yet agreed on these issues." The lifting of sanctions all at once has been declared as one of Iran's demands in the nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 group. The number of centrifuges, enrichment capacity, and Iran's enrichment facilities in Fordow are among the fundamental disagreements between the parties in the nuclear negotiations, and Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has previously opposed reducing enrichment. "Some comments have been used as pressure tools by the negotiating party," Mr. Zarif said in his interview with Etemad newspaper on Wednesday, adding that some statements from opponents of the Geneva agreement have "created costs" for Iran and have become "pressure tools" for the Western side against Iran. He urged critics to consider only "national interests" in their criticisms and comments, adding: "I cannot even disclose some of the comments made in the past year that have been used as pressure tools by the negotiating party against us." He added: "At times during the negotiations, we were told that you are making these statements yourselves and that you are defining this agreement in this way internally. Fortunately, we have passed all of this, but all of these issues have created costs for us." Since the beginning of the nuclear negotiations in Mr. Rouhani's government, hardliners, especially the radical branch, have made severe criticisms of the performance of the nuclear negotiating team. Last week, several hardliners criticized the Iranian Foreign Minister's walk with the American counterpart. 21 members of the Iranian Parliament have questioned Mohammad Javad Zarif, asking him to explain his walk with his American counterpart. The Friday prayer leaders of Tehran and Mashhad criticized Mr. Zarif's walk with John Kerry in Geneva, Switzerland, in their speeches on Friday, January 23.