Iran nuclear program and sanctions

TEHRAN, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Saturday Tehran is ready for talks with world powers but there will not be any compromise on its nuclear right, Iran's English-language satellite channel Press TV reported.

   "Iran is seriously willing to enter talks with the world powers on the basis of the items mentioned in the latest package," Mottaki told a press conference with his visiting Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

   But "we cannot make any compromise in terms of the Iranian nation's inalienable right," the Iranian foreign minister added.

   Mottaki slammed the three rounds of UN sanctions against Iran as "a failed policy" which he said cannot stop Tehran from pursuing its legitimate rights.

   To initiate talks with the six major powers that are dealing with Iran's nuclear issue, Iran on Wednesday handed over its new package of proposals on global issues.

   However, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Thursday criticized Iran's proposal for its failure to live up to its international obligations, saying that "Iran obviously has two paths that they can choose: one of those paths leads to increased international isolation if they don't take concrete steps to end their program."

   Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that Iran must remain firm on its nuclear rights.

   "We must remain firm on our rights," Khamenei told Friday prayer worshippers in a sermon broadcast live on state television, "if we give up our rights, whether nuclear rights or other (rights), it will lead to the decline (of the Islamic regime)."

   The United States and other Western countries claimed that Iran intended to secretly develop nuclear weapons. The UN Security Council also required Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activity.

   Iran, however, insisted that its nuclear plan is only for peaceful purposes, vowing to continue its uranium enrichment activity despite pressure and sanctions from Western countries.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/12/content_12041674.htm

Iran ratchets up atom work despite sanctions threat

Reza Derakhshi, Fredrik Dahl

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran’s president gave instructions on Sunday for the production of higher-grade nuclear reactor fuel, prompting the United States and Germany to threaten carefully targeted new sanctions against Tehran.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves to journalists as he waits to start an official meeting in Tehran, January 7, 2010. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s announcement raised the stakes in Iran’s dispute with the West, but he said talks were still possible on a nuclear swap offer by world powers designed to allay fears the Islamic Republic is making an atomic bomb.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the response by Iran, a major oil exporter which says its nuclear programme is to make electricity and not bombs, was very disappointing.

“If the international community will stand together and bring pressure to bear on the Iranian government, I believe there is still time for sanctions and pressure to work,” he told a news conference during a visit to Italy.

There was international consensus to avoid “more hardship than is absolutely necessary” on the Iranian people, said Gates.

Germany also raised the sanctions threat.

“It may be that the sanctions screw needs to be or can be turned here and there. We need to consider very carefully what impact our options could have,” Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said, adding it should be made clear to Iran that

“patience is at an end”.

Iran has already had three sets of sanctions imposed on it. China, which has veto power in the U.N. Security Council, has made clear it wants big powers to keep talking to Iran rather than impose new measures.

The United States, China and other major powers have proposed that Iran send most of its low-enriched uranium abroad in return for nuclear fuel refined to a level of 20 percent, for use in the Tehran reactor producing medical isotopes.
LASER TECHNOLOGY

But Ahmadinejad has now told Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation to start work on producing its own higher-grade nuclear reactor fuel for the medical research reactor.

“We had told them (the West) to come and have a swap, although we could produce the 20 percent enriched fuel ourselves,” Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech at a ceremony marking Iran’s latest laser technology achievements.

“We gave them two-to-three months’ time for such a deal. They started a new game and now I (ask) Dr Salehi to start work on the production of 20 percent fuel using centrifuges,” he said, referring to atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi.

But Salehi said his organisation was only put on standby.

“The president ordered the Atomic Energy Organisation to be on standby, so that if the talks on nuclear fuel exchange does not reach an agreement, then the organisation starts production, because this needs some preparations,” he told IRNA news agency.

State broadcaster IRIB quoted Ahmadinejad as saying that if world powers agreed to swap uranium without conditions, “then we would cooperate as well. We are ready for negotiations.”

Iran enriches uranium to a level of about 3.5 percent. Refined uranium can have both civilian and military uses, with more than 80 percent enrichment needed for an atom bomb.
CHINA AGAINST SANCTIONS

The five permanent U.N. Security Council members — United States, China, Russia, Britain and France — plus Germany met on Friday to discuss the Iran nuclear issue and China voiced its opposition to new sanctions.

Gary Smith, executive director of the American Academy think-tank in Berlin, said Ahmadinejad’s statement was not a surprise. “It increases the likelihood of stronger sanctions but the Chinese are still the big question mark,” he said.

Ahmadinejad also said Iran had the capability to enrich uranium using laser technology, but IRNA said there was no plan to do this as the country already had enrichment centrifuges.

On Tuesday, the president had appeared for the first time to drop long-standing conditions Tehran had set for accepting the U.N.-brokered fuel proposal, saying Iran was ready to send its enriched uranium abroad in exchange for nuclear fuel.

Some analysts interpret the mixed messages from Tehran as a sign of splits linked to political turmoil after Iran’s disputed June presidential election. Others see it as a delaying tactic.

Iran said on Sunday it had arrested seven people accused of stoking unrest after the election, including some who it said were employed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

The arrests were reported by IRNA before possible new anti-government protests on February 11, when Iran marks the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed shah.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Friday he saw good prospects for a nuclear accord, but restated two conditions — that any fuel exchange must be simultaneous and that Iran would determine quantities involved.

He said on Saturday he had “a very good meeting” with the head of the U.N. nuclear agency on the fuel swap plan.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Yukiya Amano said he wanted dialogue with Iran to speed up.

https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE61609420100207

Tehran supports fair nuclear deal - Iranian FM

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday that the majority of his Iranians would support a comprehensive nuclear deal that "respects Iran's rights and the demands of the people." In November, Iran clinched a deal with world powers under which it froze some nuclear activities in return for limited relief from crippling international sanctions.

"That would be the only agreement that myself and President (Hassan) Rouhani will agree (to)," Zarif said during a joint news conference in Tehran with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz.

When asked whether the Islamic republic's hardliners would be able to derail the nuclear talks, Zarif said: " Iran is not a monolith ... we will have those who will not favor an agreement, but at the end of the day what will count is the view of the majority of the Iranian people."

Kurz said a comprehensive deal would help stabilize the region, AFP reports.

"One should avoid losing this opportunity, because this solution in regards with nuclear talks will lead to stability and security of the whole region ... and it will be helpful (from) the economic viewpoint for the Iranian people," Kurz said.

Tehran has been engaged in negotiations with the P5+1, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, aimed at clinching a lasting accord on its nuclear ambitions.

Western nations and Israel have long suspected Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian program, charges denied by Tehran.

Any final deal with the West may involve Iran slashing its number of centrifuges, changing the design of a new reactor at Arak and giving UN inspectors more oversight.

Rouhani's administration has, however, already come under fire from hardliners who say the negotiators have conceded too much.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_27/Tehran-supports-fair-nuclear-deal-Iranian-FM-6200/

Iran announces nuclear talks with US and Russia

Iran will hold two days of nuclear talks with the United States starting Monday, and then conduct two further days of negotiations with Russia, the foreign ministry said.

The official IRNA news agency, quoting the ministry, said the discussions with US officials would be held in Geneva and that similar talks with Russia would follow on Wednesday and Thursday in Rome.

"The Iranian vice foreign ministers will hold negotiations with their American counterparts," as well as lead talks with Russian diplomats, it said on Saturday.

The unprecedented set of direct bilateral talks come immediately before Iran's next round of political discussions with the P5+1 group - Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany - in Vienna, between June 16-20.

Saturday's announcement said Iran was also "working to arrange" other bilateral discussions with members of the P5+1 before the Vienna meeting.

Read also: Iran’s nuclear program: historical background

Several rounds of talks have already been held in Vienna but the latest in mid-May ended with no apparent progress on a deal.

Iran has consistently denied it is seeking nuclear weapons but wants an independent atomic energy program.

Following the last round in Vienna, Iran urged western powers to resist pressure from third parties not directly involved in negotiations over its nuclear activities, in a clear reference to Israel.

Israel and lawmakers in the US Congress have repeatedly warned against lowering the pressure - in the form of economic sanctions - on Iran.

Major issues between Iran and the P5+1 remain outstanding.

These reportedly include the scope of Iran's enrichment of uranium, which if further purified could be used to trigger a nuclear explosion, and its unfinished Arak research reactor, whose byproduct waste could provide an alternative route to an atomic bomb.

Negotiators aim to nail down an exceedingly complex and lasting deal limiting Iran's atomic activities in exchange for a lifting of sanctions.

Failure could have calamitous consequences, potentially sparking conflict - neither Israel nor the United States rules out military action and creating a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_07/Iran-announces-nuclear-talks-with-US-and-Russia-6675/

Iran 'will do its best' to secure nuclear deal - President Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday his sanctions hit country would try to secure a deal in negotiations with world powers on its long-running nuclear dispute.

"Iran will do its best for a final deal with the P5+1," made up of the five permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany, Rouhani told a business forum in Ankara through translated remarks.
International community’s conditions are quite intrusive for Iran - expert
His comments came as Tehran and Washington began a second day of talks in Geneva on Iran's nuclear program, which the West suspects masks military objectives.
"Iran is ready to sit at the negotiating table for a solution" to the nuclear dispute, as well as "unfair sanctions" imposed by the West, Rouhani said
"Iran has taken this step with the Geneva deal," he said, referring to a temporary deal struck in November between Tehran and world powers aimed at slowing the country's nuclear development program in exchange for lifting some sanctions.
A deadline of July 20 has been set to turn this temporary deal into a more formal agreement.
Iran confirms trilateral meeting with EU, US in Geneva on June 9
Iran has officially confirmed that a trilateral meeting with representatives of the EU and the US will be held in Geneva on Monday, Reuters reports citing Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araqchi.
"Tomorrow's meeting will be tripartite. Helga Schmidt, the deputy of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, will be present as well," Araqchi said. Earlier, a representative of the White House reported that the EU delegates would join the negotiations between the United States and Iran on Tehran's nuclear program in Geneva on June 9-10.
Read also: Iran's nuclear program: historical background
The next round of talks at the "highest" level between Tehran and the P5+1, that includes Russia, the US, UK, China, Germany and France, is to begin on June 16.
The negotiations aim to achieve a final agreement on curtailing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of the economic sanctions.
According to the Joint Plan of Action, world powers and Iran agreed that Tehran would temporarily curb its controversial nuclear program. In exchange the US and EU would partially suspend sanctions against the Islamic republic.
A comprehensive deal that would guarantee that Iran does not pursue a military component in the nuclear program should be reached before the deadline expires on July 20. However, the prospects for a breakthrough by that date raise some doubts since the nuclear talks in Vienna last month ran into difficulties, with each side accusing the other of having unrealistic demands in negotiations.
Iran: difficult path to a nuclear deal
Western officials say Iran wants to maintain an excessive uranium enrichment capability. Iran says it wants to avoid reliance on foreign suppliers of fuel for its nuclear reactors and rejects Western allegations it seeks the capability to make atomic weapons under cover of a civilian energy program.
Iran announces nuclear talks with US and Russia
Iran will hold two days of nuclear talks with the United States starting Monday, and then conduct two further days of negotiations with Russia, the foreign ministry said.
The official IRNA news agency, quoting the ministry, said the discussions with US officials would be held in Geneva and that similar talks with Russia would follow on Wednesday and Thursday in Rome.
"The Iranian vice foreign ministers will hold negotiations with their American counterparts," as well as lead talks with Russian diplomats, it said on Saturday.
The unprecedented set of direct bilateral talks come immediately before Iran's next round of political discussions with the P5+1 group - Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany - in Vienna, between June 16-20.
Saturday's announcement said Iran was also "working to arrange" other bilateral discussions with members of the P5+1 before the Vienna meeting.
Several rounds of talks have already been held in Vienna but the latest in mid-May ended with no apparent progress on a deal.
Iran has consistently denied it is seeking nuclear weapons but wants an independent atomic energy program.
Following the last round in Vienna, Iran urged western powers to resist pressure from third parties not directly involved in negotiations over its nuclear activities, in a clear reference to Israel.
Israel and lawmakers in the US Congress have repeatedly warned against lowering the pressure - in the form of economic sanctions - on Iran.
Major issues between Iran and the P5+1 remain outstanding.
These reportedly include the scope of Iran's enrichment of uranium, which if further purified could be used to trigger a nuclear explosion, and its unfinished Arak research reactor, whose byproduct waste could provide an alternative route to an atomic bomb.
Negotiators aim to nail down an exceedingly complex and lasting deal limiting Iran's atomic activities in exchange for a lifting of sanctions.
Failure could have calamitous consequences, potentially sparking conflict - neither Israel nor the United States rules out military action and creating a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_06_10/Iran-will-do-its-best-to-secure-nuclear-deal-President-Rouhani-5246/

Iranian foreign minister hopes for progress at P5+1 talks

TEHRAN, July 22. /ITAR-TASS/. Iran and the P5+1 (five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) will succeed in reaching progress at talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Tuesday.

“We agreed that we would be able to come to final agreement. This is the only mean to solve Iran’s nuclear problem,” Zarif said.

At the same time, he said Iran’s position remained unchanged.

“Our stance is clear and transparent, including over the number of centrifuges for enriched uranium. That is why the opponents’ attempts to make us change our positions are useless,” Zarif said.

Ashton: Iran and Sextet will strive to achieve agreement on Iran’s N programme as soon
“No matter in what form the talks were being held. The parties took different positions, but they succeeded in reaching agreement,” he said.

There are disagreements on Iran’s right to enriched uranium, the heavy water reactor in Arak and lifting of sanctions. “We’ll discuss these issues,” Zarif said.

“Iran’s program is entirely peaceful. If the Western states agree, the final agreement will be reached,” he said.

US Pushing for Tehran’s Missile Program in Multilateral Nuclear Deal

MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - Tehran’s missile program should be a part of the final agreement between the six world powers and Iran, Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator in the discussions and US under secretary of state for political affairs, said during a House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting.
“What we have said in these negotiations, what is under discussion is that Iran must address all the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions, and 1929 resolution referring ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. So, that has to be addressed in some way in this agreement. It is under discussion, but not yet resolved,” Sherman said.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said “The missile program of Iranians was never part of the discussion, and it was not part of the deal signed in Geneva last November.”
“The deal was very blunt. But as the deal started to be implemented the Americans began to load it with new demands,” Lavrov added
On November 24, 2013, an action plan was adopted in Geneva, according to which the six world powers, comprising Russia, US, UK, France, Germany and China, and Iran had to settle on an agreement that would guarantee the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear program, in exchange for lifting of international sanctions against Iran.
The document has to be signed a year from the Geneva Accord, which gives the parties until November 24, 2014, to reach a final agreement.

Appears that US is really pushing their luck and is trying to make Iran pretty much bend over just to renew oil contracts. I would say that Russia needs to really start pushing investments and development into Iran so that Iran can just say screw the talks as well. It really isn't helping them.

US, Iran Representatives to Hold Nuclear Talks in Geneva - Report

MOSCOW, August 7 (RIA Novosti) – A group of top officials from the United States and an Iranian delegation will hold nuclear talks on Thursday, Reuters reported citing the US State Department.

Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will lead the US delegation, according to the agency.

In mid-July, Tehran and P5+1 group — US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China - failed to reach an agreement on Iranian nuclear program after six rounds of talks.

In November, the six world powers agreed on lifting international sanctions against Iran if the country gave assurances on the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. The parties should reach a final agreement by November 24, 2014.

Iran and the so-called P5+1 group are unlikely to reach a permanent deal on Tehran's nuclear program before a four-month extension period expires in November, Press TV reported Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying Friday.

Regular round of talks between Iran, P5+1 to start in Vienna November 18

P5+1, Iran Close to Clinching a Deal

MOSCOW, November 18 (Sputnik) — The negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programmme between the Islamic Republic and six world powers have commenced in Vienna Tuesday, in an attempt to strike a deal before the self-imposed psychological deadline of November 24.

Diplomatic representatives from Iran and the 5+1 group of global powers, namely the US, Germany, the UK, France, China and Russia, have come together in to Vienna for the final round of talks, in an attempt to conclude a comprehensive accord with Tehran on its claimed peaceful nuclear program.

If the deal is reached, it will end one of the worst standoffs in world politics of the early 21st century. It may also fan off the mutual hostility and distrust between the developed world and Iran, non-existent since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

The parties involved say the compromise deal is possible, however, hardliners in both the US and Iran feel their respective negotiators should not give much. Distrust is the reason why the recent preliminary talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry, the EU diplomatic rep. Catherine Ashton and Iran’s FM Javad Zarif had failed, Voice of America reports.

"There's still a big gap. We may not be able to get there," US President Barack Obama said last Sunday as quoted by AFP.

The final round of nuclear talks will take place less than a week before the 24 November deadline, voluntarily self-imposed by the parties involved, after a preliminary deal was reached on the same day in 2013. Diplomats say the principal disagreements between the parties concentrate around the future scope of Iran’s uranium enrichment and the timing of the reduction in anti-Iranian sanctions.

Iran wants to be allowed to enrich more and have the sanctions lifted quicker, while the US assumes too much uranium will still potentially let Iran make a bomb and the sanctions should be lifted at a gradual pace, as Tehran may use the sudden relief to immediately buy a lot of conventional weapons.

"They [Iran] want everything, all at once and this is not realistic," a Western diplomat, participating in the negotiations, told AFP.

The US delegates are optimistic though. Last week Secretary Kerry said these negotiations are "the best chance we've ever had to resolve this issue peacefully". And now, chief US negotiator Wendy Sherman says, it is "time to finish the job", AFP reports.

If the accord is reached, both Obama and Iranian leader Khaminei will need to express their support and commitment for the move to calm hardliners, hawks and hotshots in their respective nations. Meanwhile, the GOP-dominated Congress is considering new sanctions against Iran in case the deal does not occur before November 24. Either the interim deal will be extended once more or the diplomatic efforts will fail

Iranian Foreign Ministry Denies Reports of Nuclear Agreement With US

Regular round of talks between Iran, P5+1 to be held Jan. 15 in Geneva - diplomat

Russia is bragged around like prostitute from the masters of the universe to legitimize their circus all the while they punish their own economy like a naughty schoοlgirl. Pathetic.

Obama Promises to Veto Iran Sanctions to Avoid War

US President Barack Obama said that he is to veto new sanctions against Iran and asked Congress for more time to solve the nuclear crisis without going to war.

WASHINGTON, January 17 (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama promised to veto new sanctions against Iran and asked Congress for more time to solve the nuclear crisis without going to war, according to his speech at the White House on Friday.

“I will veto a bill that comes to my desk,” Obama said when asked how he would handle legislation to apply sanctions against Iran for pursuing nuclear weapons. “I respectfully request them [Congress] to hold off for a few months to see if we have the possibility of solving a big problem without resorting potentially to war.”

Congress needs to be more patient, the President stressed, because sanctions will only undermine a deal that could peacefully halt Iran’s nuclear development program.

“I’m asking Congress to hold off because our negotiators, our partners, those who are most intimately involved in this, assess that it [more sanctions] will jeopardize the possibility of providing a diplomatic solution to one of the most difficult and long-lasting national security problems that we’ve faced in a very long time,” Obama added.

Obama rejected the notion that the United States was on an “immediate war footing” with Iran should the current round of negotiations fail. Nobody doubts, including Iran, the ability of the United States to garner support to apply more sanctions should a deal fall apart, the president added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif met in Paris this week and have been trying to make progress towards a nuclear deal. The next round of P5+1 talks between Iran and world powers are due to start on Sunday.

The P5+1 group of six world powers, including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany, initiated diplomatic efforts back in 2006 to ensure Iran’s nuclear program remained focused on peaceful applications only. Since then, the group has held several meetings with Iran, but the sides failed to reach a compromise.

The latest round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group, held in November in Vienna, Switzerland, did not produce a comprehensive deal and the sides agreed to continue discussions in July 2015.

International Negotiators Begin Talks on Iranian Nuclear Program in Geneva

Second Unit of Iran's Bushehr NPP to Become Operational Within Next 8 Years

Tehran Denies Iranian Missile Program is Part of Nuclear Talks

Iran insists that the country’s missile program is not subject to talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s missile program is not part of negotiations with the 5+1 group, comprising US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said, according to state media.

Araqchi’s remarks came after Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the US Department of State, said that "Iran’s missile program continues to pose a dangerous threat to the region," adding that the program was "one of the issues we are taking up" in the talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.

"Iran’s missile program has been discussed and will continue to be discussed as part of the negotiations," Psaki said during a daily press briefing on February 2. Earlier that day, Iran announced that it had successfully launched its Fajr (Dawn) observation satellite, using a Safir-2 rocket into space.

Psaki’s remarks prompted Araqchi to say that Iran’s missile program was peaceful. "The 'Safir (Messenger)' rocket which carried the Fajr satellite into the orbit (on Monday) has been designed and built by the capable hands of experts at the defense ministry's aerospace organization for space missions and in pursuit of fully peaceful goals," he said, as quoted by the Fars news agency.

"Iran's missile program is fully defensive in nature and the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that its defensive issues are not negotiable at all and it will not discuss this issue with any foreign side," Araqchi added.

Negotiations for the Iranian nuclear program have been ongoing since an interim deal was reached in November 2013. The parties were unable to reach an agreement before July 2014, extending the deadline for a final comprehensive deal until June 2015.

Iran maintains that its activities, which include the construction of a uranium enrichment plant and a heavy-water reactor, are for the purposes of producing energy, rather than the production of nuclear weapons.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150204/1017769962.html#ixzz3QnKEbo49

Iran to Develop Nuclear Program Despite Possible Expansion of US Sanctions

Parties to Iran Six Talks Must Avoid Pursuing 'Unilateral Benefit' - Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that members of the P5+1 group should not try to derive "unilateral benefit" from the complicated issue.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Members of the P5+1 group, which has been holding talks with Iran on its disputed nuclear program, should not try to derive "unilateral benefit" from the complicated issue, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed.

"Substantial progress has been made [in the P5+1 talks with Iran]. However, we have not managed yet to produce a final comprehensive solution either regarding the Iranian nuclear programme itself or the prospects of lifting the sanctions," Putin told the Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper.

Russia expects the efforts in this field to continue, Putin said, adding that "the crucial point is that nobody should try to derive unilateral benefit from the situation or to bargain out more than what is needed for a balanced and just resolution of this complicated issue".

According to Putin, Russia's position on the issue is based "on a belief that Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear activity including uranium enrichment, naturally under control of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]".

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, and a number of other countries have imposed sanctions on Iran, suspecting it of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program.

Tehran has stressed that its nuclear activity is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

In November 2013, Iran and the P5+1 group of international mediators, including China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, started negotiations on an agreement that would guarantee the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions on Iran. The talks resulted only in an interim agreement.

At November 2014 talks in Vienna, the negotiating parties again failed to work out a comprehensive deal, instead extending the deadline for reaching an agreement to July, 2015.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150209/1017981153.html#ixzz3RG6PQ8nb

http://www.westernjournalism.com/us-intelligence-chief-iran-can-now-build-nukes/#w9GsEs2UIAhKtUdj.97

Obama Urges Iran to Freeze Nuclear Program for Ten Years

Maybe Iran should urge to freeze USA's debt limit for ten years, let us see how long the US will survive without raising their debt limit every few years.

US, EU Ready to Lift Iran Economic Sanctions Once Nuclear Deal Concluded

According to Iranian delegate, Iran has received a signal from the United States and the European Union in regard to their readiness to lift economic sanctions imposed against Tehran after a full agreement on the country’s nuclear program is concluded.

LAUSANNE (Sputnik) – Iran has received a signal from the United States and the European Union in regard to their readiness to lift economic sanctions imposed against Tehran after a full agreement on the country’s nuclear program is concluded, an Iranian delegate told RIA Novosti on Friday.

“The Iranian delegation got a signal from the Americans and European over their readiness to lift economic sanctions immediately after the publication of an all-encompassing agreement. The main problem in lifting the sanctions are the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council and the US sanctions that need to be approved by Congress,” the delegate said.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150320/1019772461.html#ixzz3UvZdT3XH

UN Geneva Office Ready to Urgently Host Iran Nuclear Talks – Source

A UN source confirmed that the foreign ministers of Iran and the P5+1 group of international mediators could move to the UN building in Geneva from Lausanne in case a concluding meeting is necessary.

LAUSANNE (Sputnik) – The UN office in Geneva is ready to urgently host the negotiations on the issue of Iran's nuclear program, a UN source at the office said Saturday.

On Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that the foreign ministers of Iran and the P5+1 group of international mediators could move to the UN building in Geneva from Lausanne in case a concluding meeting is necessary.

"Yes, we are ready to urgently organize a meeting but no requests have been made so far," the source said.

Also on Friday, Araqchi said that certain unresolved issues still remained but the negotiators were working toward resolving them.

The latest round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program between Iran and the P5+1 group, comprising Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, is taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, and is expected to end on Sunday.

The West has reservations about Iran's program, accusing the Islamic republic of covertly developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said that the nuclear program was developed to meet the country's growing energy needs.

The participants of the talks should produce a political framework agreement by the end of March, while a comprehensive deal to ensure the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program is expected by July.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150328/1020135769.html#ixzz3VgZ1l561