Iran Nuclear Talks to Re-Start

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili announced on Wednesday that Iran will soon hold nuclear talks with world powers. Jalili made the comments after holding talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Istanbul.

Jalili, a candidate for president in the upcoming election in Iran, said  regardless of elction results, Iran will never abandon its right to enrich uranium.

“Even after the elections in Iran, the people of Iran will not allow their right to enrichment to be taken away,” Jalili said, adding that the world powers should lift the international sanctions against Iran.

Meanwhile in Vienna, the talks between Iran and the IAEA, also on Wednesday, ended with no concrete results on resolving issues surrounding IAEA access to Iranian sites and documents.

Photo credit: Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili (C) walks with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (AFP/STR)

Iran Nuclear Talks Underway in Istanbul and Vienna

In two separate meetings underway in Istanbul and Vienna today, Iran’s nuclear program is being reviewed. In Istanbul, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili is holding talks with EU’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. In Vienna, the IAEA is holding a 10th round of talks since the beginning of last year with Iranian officials.

The IAEA meeting is mainly focused on the agency’s concern about possible nuclear weapon research at Parchin military base near Tehran. In Istanbul, the two sides are following up on their recent talks in Almaty on Iran’s enrichment activities, especially the production of 20-percent enriched uranium at Fordo.

“We presented some specific proposals in Almaty II (early April) based on defending our nuclear rights and even they accepted to study them and provide a response within a few days,” Jalili told reporters before his meeting today with Ashton. “A long time has passed, but we are still waiting for the P5+1 response to Iran's proposals.” (Fars News Agency, 15 May)

Jalili, a leading contender in June presidential election in Iran, said the election will not have any effects on nuclear negotiations. “The nuclear issue is a national, cross-political faction issue,” he said.

Iran Nuclear Talks to Be Held In Istanbul on Wednesday

A new round of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program will be held in Istanbul on Wednesday. Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, and Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, will meet for the talks.

File photo: Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili at Istanbul Talks earlier this year (Anadolu Agency)

Iran Considering Suspension of 20% Uranium Enrichment

Still Opposes Closure of Fordo, Shipping Out Enriched Uranium



Iran is considering a proposal by major world powers to suspend its 20-percent uranium enrichment for a six-month period and convert its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium into oxide for medical use, Al-Montor reported on Tuesday, quoting diplomatic sources familiar with the the Iranian position outlined at last week’s technical talks with P5+1 in Istanbul.

The Iranians, however, reportedly raised objection to suspending the operations at Fordo nuclear facility except for 20-percent enrichment and shipping out their current stockpile instead of converting it into oxide. They also did not agree to sign IAEA’s additional protocol for enhanced inspections.

File photo: P5+1 delegates at Almaty Talks. 27 February 2013 (AP)

Iran Unmoved by P5+1 Latest Proposal

Reports from the marathon 13.5 hours talks in Istanbul yesterday indicate that the six powers gave Iran more details of their proposal offered in late February in Almaty, but Iran was reportedly not impressed, saying the offer still had “no balance” in what Iran was asked to give up to what it was getting in return, Christian Science Monitor reported today.

The world powers reportedly want Iran severely limit its 20-percent uranium enrichment program and close Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility in exchange for modest relief from sanctions. Iran said that the incentives were not strong enough.

After Almaty talks in late February, Iranian foreign ministry had called the negotiations “a turning point.” If the reports from Istanbul are accurate, Iran is now qualifying its stance on Almaty talks, with less optimism that any breakthrough would be achieved in Almaty II next month.  

“From our side, [the proposed] relief of the sanctions is not proportionate with what they are asking Iran to do,” an Iranian close to the talks who asked not to be identified told CSM. “They are asking Iran to suspend 20 percent enrichment, and reduce the readiness of Fordow, which from our point of view is [the same as] shutting Fordow down. We argued that there is no balance between what they are asking, and what they are offering.” (Christian Science Monitor, 19 March)

Major Powers Give Iran Details of “Confidence Building” Proposals

Istanbul Expert-Level Talks End Today

Iran and the six major powers discussed the details of P5+1 “revised confidence-building” proposals offered in Almaty in late February to end the standoff over Iranian nuclear program in the two days of expert-level talks in Istanbul that ended late on Monday.  

EU foreign policy spokesman Michael Mann said in a statement at the end of the talks today that the P5+1 expects “a substantive response” from Iran to their proposals during their next round of talks, dubbed Almaty II, on 5-6 April.

“The meeting also provided an opportunity for both (six-power) and Iranian experts to explore each other's positions on a number of technical subjects,” Mann added.