Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the West not to pass up the opportunity for an agreement on Irans nuclear program.Speaking at the Pugwash disarmament conference in Turkey, Zarif said Tehran will do everything in our negotiations with the P5+1 [5+1 Powers] to ensure that even the perception that Iran has anything but peaceful intentions for its nuclear program will be removed, because we believe that even the perception that Iran pursues a nuclear weapons program is not only wrong, but dangerous.
The Foreign Minister continued, The result is [that] 10 years ago Iran had less than 160 centrifuges spinning, now we have over 18,000. Ten years ago Irans economy was prospering; now we have sanctions hurting the Iranian people. So I hope we have come to understand that the approach was wrong.
Zarifs statement came amid further signs of progress in the negotiations, renewed in mid-October in Geneva. International Atomic Energy Agency head Yukiya Amano said there was significant change in Tehrans position on inspections and supervision, following this weeks talks with the IAEA in Vienna: There is some substance in the new proposal by Iran.
And in Washington, leading Senator Carl Levin said Congress should not pass new sanctions against Iran while the Barack Obama administration tests the chances for a nuclear agreement.
Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, Whether it is a 10%, 40% or 60% chance [for agreement], it should be tested and probed. We should not at this time impose additional sanctions.
Some Senators announced this week they would press for measures to limit Irans oil exports to 500,000 barrels per day the lowest figure in the Islamic Republics history despite Administration calls to refrain from further economic measures while talks were ongoing.
By EA WorldView
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