29 Mar 2024
Tuesday 15 October 2013 - 12:03
Story Code : 57568

Iran round-up: Nuclear talks begin in Geneva

SUMMARY:After a six-month break, formal talks between Iran and the 5+1 Powers over Tehrans nuclear program resume today in Geneva.
On Monday, officials of the 5+1 (US, Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany) met with Iranian counterparts, while Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the European Unions foreign policy head Catherine Ashton (pictured), the lead negotiator for the 5+1, had a working dinner.

Iran has said it will table renewed proposals today. They are likely to include calls for the 5+1 to recognize Tehrans right to enrich uranium and for the US and European powers to lift sanctions.

In return, Iran may offer to suspend its enrichment of 20% uranium, limiting its programme to 5% stock, provided it has a guaranteed supply of the higher-level fuel for its Tehran Research Reactor.

The US, which insisted this spring on a full cessation of Irans 20% program before any significant easing of sanctions, has not indicated how it would respond to the Iranian proposals.

A senior Obama administration official was cautious ina briefing to reporterson Monday night:

We are ready to listen to [the Iranian presentation], and to go to work if it is substantive and concrete.

At the same time, we go into these meetings clear-eyed about the fact that we have very, very difficult work to do.No one should expect a breakthrough overnight. These issues are too complicated. And as the President said, the history of mistrust is very deep.



US Warns While We Negotiate, We Will Keep Up Economic Pressure
Another extract fromthe Monday night briefingby a senior Obama Administration official, declaring that Washington will maintain a firm line as it listens to Iranian proposals.

While we negotiate we will keep up the economic pressure on Iran. IndeedWe believe that that pressure, which is a result of Irans own choices, has gotten us in large measure where we are today. And the [5+1 Powers] and the international community writ large remains united in acting in that regard.

The official refused to answer a question as to whether the US would accept an Iranian offer to suspend 20% uranium enrichment, limiting the process to 5% stock.

Indeed, the official refused to consider whether the US would even acknowledge Irans right to enrichment.
Rouhani Government Shortfall in Subsidy Budget of Billions of Dollars
Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, the deputy head of budgets and planning for the Rohani Governmentm says the budget for paying family subsidiesfaces a shortfall of trillions of Rials billions of dollars.

The opposition site Radio Zamaneh claims the deficit could be 700 to 800 trillion rials ($28 billion to $32 billion).

Nobakht said the Government is looking at stopping payments to families in the top three income brackets.
Supreme Leaders Military Advisor Americans Cannot Be Trusted
The Supreme Leaders senior military advisor, Yahya Rahim Safavi,cautioned on the eve of the nuclear talks, The Americans didnt make any concessions to Iran and for this and other reasons, the Americans cannot be trusted.

Rahim Safavi claimed, George W. Bush has said in his diary book that they wanted to attack Iran after the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but their military forces opposed it. This means that they had hatched plots against Iran, but the US has failed to succeed in the attainment of its strategic goals.

By Ea World View

 

The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.
https://theiranproject.com/vdcc4pqp.2bqme8y-a2.html
Your Name
Your Email Address