- Title: IRAN-NUCLEAR/MEETING Iran says Western powers backtracking as talks go on
- Date: 10th July 2015
- Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (JULY 10, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF TALKS VENUE EMPTY BALCONY WIDE SHOT OF MINISTERS MEETING EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF FEDERICA MOGHERINI US SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS MOGHERINI WIDE OF MEETING
- Embargoed: 25th July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Austria
- Country: Austria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAE87THFLWKSCNMZ7L7A7823SAC
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Foreign ministers met on Friday (July 10) without Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the room amid Iranian accusation that major powers are backtracking on previous pledges and throwing up new "red lines" at nuclear talks, after the deadline to reach an agreement in time to receive expedited scrutiny from the U.S. Congress expired with no deal.
Zarif said a deal was unlikely to be reached on Friday and negotiators would probably spend the weekend in Vienna.
Zarif has been holding intense meetings for more than two weeks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to try to hammer out a final agreement limiting Iran's nuclear programme in return for withdrawing economic sanctions.
They have been joined periodically by foreign ministers from Britain, China, France, German and Russia, also party to any deal, which would be the biggest step towards rapprochement between Iran and the West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
But the negotiations have become bogged down, with final deadlines extended twice in the past 10 days and diplomats speaking of heated exchanges between Kerry and Zarif.
Because no deal was complete by Friday morning, any agreement would now be subject to 60 days of scrutiny by the sceptical, Republican-dominated U.S. Congress, rather than an expedited 30 day review.
On Thursday (July 9), Kerry made clear Washington's patience was running out: "We can't wait forever," he told reporters. "If the tough decisions don't get made, we are absolutely prepared to call an end to this."
Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Kerry's remarks "part of America's psychological warfare against Iran".
A senior Iranian official speaking on condition of anonymity said the United States and the other powers were shifting their positions and backtracking on an April 2 interim agreement that was meant to lay the ground for a final deal.
Back in Iran, Friday provided a reminder of the depth of more than three decades of hatred between Iran and the West that a deal could help overcome.
Iranians rallied nationwide for the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, observed in Iran as "Qods Day" or "Death to Israel day", to show support for Palestinians, protest against Israel and chant slogans against the "Great Satan" United States.
Western countries suspect Iran of seeking the capability to make nuclear weapons. Iran says it has the right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Over the past two years, the nuclear talks have brought about the first intensive direct diplomacy between the United States and Iran since Iranian revolutionaries stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979.
A successful outcome would be a triumph both for U.S. President Barack Obama and Iran's President.
Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, a key member of the U.S. negotiating team, was due to fly to Portugal on Friday to accept an honour and make a speech, returning on Friday evening.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was also set to leave and return later in the evening.
The White House said the talks would not likely drag on for "many more weeks."
A senior Western diplomat said the longer the talks carried on the harder it would be to get a deal. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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