Overall picture on Iran’s nuclear talks transparent: Araghchi

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told reporters that the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program was extended until the end of June next year in the hope that the broad outlines of a comprehensive deal could be agreed within three months.

Senior member of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team expressed hope that the new negotiations would resume within the next two weeks, adding that two key issues, the sanctions and enrichment, remain unsolved in the negotiations and the deal would not be reached untill the gaps are closed between Iran and the 5+1.

Regarding the new commitments by both sides in the form of extended negotiations, Araghchi said the exact same conditions that existed in the past 10 months would continue. He stressed that the enrichment would continue and some restrictions and sanctions remain on Iran’s nuclear activity.

In response to a question about Iran’s frozen funds, he stressed Iran will continue to receive around $700 million of its frozen funds per month.

“In last months $7 billion of Iran’s frozen assets released and within the coming months, the figure will be about $5 billion,” Araghchi added.

Asking whether the two sides will reach a deal on the details, he said reaching a comprehensive agreement generally faced major problems, especially with respect to the removal of sanctions and the enrichment as the key topics of the talks, adding that they could not look at specifics and details until a general agreement was reached.

He said the talks aim at resolving the concerns and the two sides had ideas and comments in order to address the concerns, stressing that West found what Iranian possesses in terms of nuclear technology is irreversible component of our red lines.

“Our nuclear scientists in the negotiating team very well presented scientific solutions to address these concerns and were able to convince the other side that the solution works,” Araghchi underlined, adding that "we are in a direction where we hope to get results in any case and on the lifting of the sanctions, solutions are also provided and we are working on them."

LR
MNA
END