Iran nuclear Talks Enter Most ‘Difficult Phase’ as Deadline Extended 72 Hours
(Worthy News) – America hailed “substantial progress in every area” of its negotiations over Iran’s nuclear ambitions on Tuesday, but declared that another deadline for a deal would be ignored and the talks extended by 72 hours, the UK Telegraph reported.
The meetings in Vienna have already been prolonged once after they missed their original target of reaching agreement by June 30. This immense diplomatic effort, designed to settle the confrontation over Iran’s nuclear programme, has now been renewed again, this time until Friday.
Federica Mogherini, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said on Tuesday afternoon that the talks would run for a “couple of days”, but insisted this amounted to interpreting the original deadline “flexibly”, rather than a formal extension. “We are taking the time, the days we still need, to finalise the agreement,” she said, adding that the meetings were “difficult” and “sometimes tense”. [ Source ]
Former IAEA Official: Iran Should Not Be Exempted From Military Base Inspections
Laura Rockwood, a former employee of the United Nations nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency, wrote the access rules for nuclear inspectors during her time there and told CBS Tuesday that it should have access to military instillations.
Iran is trying to prevent a nuclear deal where it would have to grant “broad access to suspect nuclear sites,” CBS reports, which includes military sites.
“The IAEA should have access to military bases,” Rockwood told her. “They have access in other countries, at least 10 other countries. There is no automatic exemption for access to a military location.” [ Source ]
Iran demands end to U.N. missile sanctions, West refuses
A dispute over U.N. sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program and a broader arms embargo were among issues holding up a nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers on Monday, the day before their latest self-imposed deadline.
“The Iranians want the ballistic missile sanctions lifted. They say there is no reason to connect it with the nuclear issue, a view that is difficult to accept,” one Western official told Reuters. “There’s no appetite for that on our part.”
“The Western side insists that not only should it (Iran’s ballistic missile program) remain under sanctions, but that Iran should suspend its program as well,” an Iranian official said.
“But Iran is insisting on its rights and says all the sanctions, including on the ballistic missiles, should be lifted when the U.N. sanctions are lifted.” [ Source ]