Iran Nuclear Talks
Other questions concern how to verify that Iran is following the deal and how to address suspicions that it has already
conducted secret nuclear weapons research. After the Lausanne talks, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that neither inspections of military sites nor interviews with nuclear scientists would be allowed.That prompted concerns that Iran might be backtracking from understandings sketched out in the talks. Those worries were only partly eased when Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said in a lengthy interview that his country had agreed to “managed access” in which inspectors could take samples “from the vicinity of military sites.” On Saturday, however, Mr. Araqchi said that allowing Iran’s scientists to be interviewed was “generally off the table.”Experts say that wide-ranging inspections are needed to guard against cheating. They also say that the International Atomic Energy Agency needs to interview Iranian scientists to resolve questions about Iran’s suspected work on nuclear weapons designs and tests of weapons components — what the agency calls the “possible military dimensions” of the Iranian program. Iran says its program is only for civilian purposes.The State Department official said the two sides had made headway on this in Lausanne by agreeing to develop a “list of people and places for access,” but acknowledged that important details had yet to be settled.“We didn’t agree on the list, but we agreed to undertake a process to develop that list,” the official said.The nuclear talks involve Iran, the United States and five other world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.Mr. Kerry’s meeting with Mr. Zarif on Saturday included Helga Schmid, the political director for the European Union. Among the other participants in the talks was Wendy R. Sherman, the chief American negotiator on Iran nuclear issues.Mr. Araqchi joined Mr. Zarif among the Iranian negotiators. Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was too ill to attend but participated by phone from Tehran.It is unclear when Mr. Kerry will meet again with the Iranians, but negotiators at Ms. Sherman’s level plan to convene on Thursday, the Iranians announced.Asked at the start of the session on Saturday if the negotiators expected to meet their deadline, Mr. Zarif said, “We will try.”France’s ambassador to the United States, Gérard Araud, said last week that it could be hard to meet the deadline because Iran would engage in diplomatic brinkmanship to try to squeeze some final concessions.
conducted secret nuclear weapons research. After the Lausanne talks, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that neither inspections of military sites nor interviews with nuclear scientists would be allowed.That prompted concerns that Iran might be backtracking from understandings sketched out in the talks. Those worries were only partly eased when Abbas Araqchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said in a lengthy interview that his country had agreed to “managed access” in which inspectors could take samples “from the vicinity of military sites.” On Saturday, however, Mr. Araqchi said that allowing Iran’s scientists to be interviewed was “generally off the table.”Experts say that wide-ranging inspections are needed to guard against cheating. They also say that the International Atomic Energy Agency needs to interview Iranian scientists to resolve questions about Iran’s suspected work on nuclear weapons designs and tests of weapons components — what the agency calls the “possible military dimensions” of the Iranian program. Iran says its program is only for civilian purposes.The State Department official said the two sides had made headway on this in Lausanne by agreeing to develop a “list of people and places for access,” but acknowledged that important details had yet to be settled.“We didn’t agree on the list, but we agreed to undertake a process to develop that list,” the official said.The nuclear talks involve Iran, the United States and five other world powers: Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.Mr. Kerry’s meeting with Mr. Zarif on Saturday included Helga Schmid, the political director for the European Union. Among the other participants in the talks was Wendy R. Sherman, the chief American negotiator on Iran nuclear issues.Mr. Araqchi joined Mr. Zarif among the Iranian negotiators. Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was too ill to attend but participated by phone from Tehran.It is unclear when Mr. Kerry will meet again with the Iranians, but negotiators at Ms. Sherman’s level plan to convene on Thursday, the Iranians announced.Asked at the start of the session on Saturday if the negotiators expected to meet their deadline, Mr. Zarif said, “We will try.”France’s ambassador to the United States, Gérard Araud, said last week that it could be hard to meet the deadline because Iran would engage in diplomatic brinkmanship to try to squeeze some final concessions.
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