Zarif: This Round of Nuclear Negotiations is Very Sensitive

Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated on Wednesday, April 5, ahead of his trip to Switzerland and the start of a new round of nuclear talks between Tehran and the P5+1 group, that this round of negotiations is very sensitive due to the approaching predetermined dates for the frameworks. According to the Central News Unit, Zarif said, "This round of negotiations is very sensitive, especially considering that we are nearing the dates we had previously set to reach the frameworks." The new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, and Russia, along with Germany, is set to begin on Thursday. Following efforts to reach a comprehensive and final agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program, both sides were expected to reach a general (political) agreement by the end of March (early Farvardin). Then, negotiations would continue to achieve a final agreement by the deadline set in June. According to Iranian officials, recent negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 have seen "very little" disagreement remaining, with only "one or two fundamental issues" left. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated on Wednesday that in the previous round, they were able to discuss various solutions for remaining issues such as enrichment, research and development, Fordow, lifting all sanctions, and the timeline for implementing these agreements, and they were able to come very close to solutions in some cases. Zarif added that it appeared the P5+1 needed an opportunity to coordinate their positions within the group; therefore, these negotiations will continue tonight at the deputy level and tomorrow at the ministerial level, with a strong possibility that other ministers from the P5+1 group will join the negotiations by the end of the week or next Saturday. The Islamic Republic's Foreign Minister stated, "We have always said that the P5+1, especially the Western side of this group, must decide whether they want a negotiated solution or if they want to continue applying pressure." The new round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 begins while Iranian officials have emphasized in recent days that any potential agreement must involve the immediate lifting of sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, recently stated that the lifting of sanctions must be "part of the nuclear negotiations" with the P5+1 countries and without any delay in relation to the agreement. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the U.S. is seeking a gradual lifting of sanctions in exchange for specific and serious actions from Tehran. On the other hand, France is calling for a "symbolic lifting" of the sanctions imposed on Tehran over the years. In this context, the Fars News Agency also mentioned on Wednesday that the lifting of sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council is "one of the main unresolved issues" between the parties and noted that Joshua Black, the U.S. sanctions official at the UN, has also joined the U.S. negotiating team for the upcoming talks.