Iran Edition––Iranian views of the extension

“This is a historic opportunity for us all to resolve not just some of the issues, but all of them.”

––Foreign minister Javad Zarif on the extension of the negotiations

Reformist paper Mardom Salari reported on Zarif’s comments after Iran and the P5+1 agreed to extend the interim agreement and negotiations until November 24^th this year.

In a joint statement with Catherine Ashton, Zarif announced: “Along with the other foreign ministers we decided to continue the Joint Plan of Action until November 24, 2014. Iran and the 3+3 stress that they will continue to carry out their commitments in an effective and timely manner. In the coming weeks we will have serious meetings on a comprehensive agreement.”

Regarding the possibility of extending the negotiations beyond the appointed time, he said, “I think that Kerry has recommended this, and I, too, recommend it.”

He continued, “Iran’s concern is not only about the limits that have come about by way of the sanctions, but on other issues like technical cooperation in the nuclear energy field and cooperation for Iran’s accessing the nuclear market. America has not achieved its goals with the sanctions regime, it has only caused unpleasantness among Iranians.”

Abbas Araqchi, in an interview in Vienna said, “There are deep differences on various issues and, as we said before, we began to write a draft and made good progress, but differences over content remain. More than 65 percent of the text is completed but the 35 percent that remains is comprised of key issues.”

He called the talks constructive and said there is a will on all sides to reach a solution before addressing some of the details of what has been accomplished: “All commitments that both sides had accepted in the Geneva agreement will continue for four months. But because the nature and form of some of the commitments had changed we needed to negotiate to see how to continue those commitments. One of these issues was that of the $2.4 billion for us converting and diluting our 20 percent [uranium] to uranium oxide.”

He added that there was disagreement over amount of money to be transferred in exchange for the uranium conversion: some thought that there should not be a new amount due to Iran completing its uranium conversion. He said that eventually they accepted six payments over the next four months (four installments of $500 million, and two installments of $400 million) totaling $2.8 billion, starting on August 1^st and paid every 20 days.

“Iran’s goal is not extension for the sake of extension.”

––An official close to talks in Vienna

“We are in the process of agreeing on an extension of the negotiations that has a specific deadline,” continued the unnamed official. Mardom Salari reported on the remarks before the most recent round of negotiations came to a close. The last few days were spent focusing on how to extend the interim agreement.

In addition to agreeing on an extension, according to the article, all sides spent the last few days trying to put the ball in the other’s court. It said the ball is in the USA’s court because “everybody has been waiting on them to make a decision in the last several days, but they have been unable to give an appropriate response on how to extend.”

Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said in an interview, “We do not want an extension that returns us to the last ten days of negotiations.” He went on to say that if there is an impasse, Iran may work towards a self-designed plan that will hopefully lead to a usable agreement.

According to the article, Iran has proposed a way forward that will include the lifting of more sanctions during the extension, but the US has been unable to produce a response.

July 21, 2014

“We did not make history on Sunday.”

––Zinab Ismaili, reporting for Sharq Daily

“Negotiators stopped bargaining to reach a deal, and continued meeting for a new task: negotiations for an agreement about the conditions of extending negotiations for four months,” writes Ismaili from Vienna.

In a joint news conference in the basement of the Coburg Hotel, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif announced, “There has been tangible progress in some areas and we have been working together to compile a comprehensive, joint text, but there is still distance to cover regarding some principal areas that requires a lot of time and effort. We held different meetings in a constructive atmosphere to reach a long term, comprehensive solution that will verify Iran’s nuclear program as peaceful.”

July 22, 2014

“Big success for Iran’s negotiators”

––An op-ed published in leftist newspaper, Aftabeh Yazd

The op-ed, penned by international affairs expert and Secretary General of the Green Party, Hossein Kanani Moqadam, touted the extension of the interim agreement as a huge success for the negotiating team, and that earning Iran’s rights is perhaps “the biggest achievement of the Islamic Revolution.”

“Based on international law and rationale, Iran was able to promulgate its nuclear rights …. This rationale convinced the P5+1 that the Islamic Republic is operating within the frameworks of the agreement and, according to it, is seeking to resolve the issues at the negotiating table.” In doing this, the negotiators were able to improve Iran’s standing on the diplomatic scene by “several degrees” and prevent the other side from cornering Iran at the table.

He goes on to say that not only has Iran freed the blocked funds, but has better positioned itself for the next round of negotiations and assured the world that it operates within the frameworks of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Further, the success will lead to Iran being a leader in nuclear power technology, and sanctions and pressure cannot take that away.

July 23, 2014

“If you have better information than we do, do you want to advise us?”

––Foreign Minister Javad Zarif responds to critics in the Majlis

Ahsan Badaghi, a political correspondent for Etemaad, reported on the overall satisfaction in the Majlis after a closed-door meeting with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. However, some representatives (including those in the “Worried” camp), demanded more information about the negotiations in Vienna.

The handling of the negotiations has created new divisions among Iranian politicians, between those supporting a deal and those who believe that any deal will infringe on Iran’s rights to nuclear power. Badaghi writes of the debate in the Majlis, “It is not clear if not reaching an agreement in the Vienna negotiations is the sun setting on the representatives’ differences with the negotiating team, or if the atmosphere of the Majlis these days is the calm before the storm.”

While many laud Zarif and his team for standing up for Iran’s nuclear rights throughout the negotiations, other representatives are still in protest. Outside of the closed session, one representative told Etemaad, “These ‘Worriers’ are not finished. If Zarif told them everything about the negotiations they would still find something to protest.”

Behrouz Namati, a Majlis spokesperson, said at a press conference, “Today’s talks were about enrichment, differences, and the negotiation date. Mr. Zarif announced in the meeting that members of the P5+1 believed that the negotiations would be concluded in these six months. In the last week they brought a lot of pressure to do so, but due to disagreements - one of  which is based on the Supreme Leader’s announcement for 190,000 enrichment units - the talks over enrichment were overwhelmed.”

Namati went on, “The Americans and other Western nations have agreed to take Iran’s demands for its national rights into consideration.”

More importantly, on the Majlis’ role, he said, “Right now it is not necessary for the Majlis to weigh in, but if necessary, it will have an impact.”

Majid Ansari, the President’s parliamentary assistant, said that Zarif “explained what he thought necessary and conveyed information at his own discretion. By having meetings to exchange information and getting acquainted with perspectives, it will attract more support from members of the Majlis for the negotiating team.”

According to the article, the “Worriers” have been trying to assert the Majlis’ role over the last six months at every opportunity, with little success: from attempting to require the interim agreement to be approved by the Majlis, to trying to get a Majlis representative assigned to the negotiating team. Some of the “Worriers” include Saeed Hossein Naqvi Hosseini and Mansour Haqiqatpour, conservative representatives who were talking about impeaching Zarif last November.

The attacks on Zarif have decreased for now, but “the ‘Worriers’ in the Majlis tried not to talk to the media much after the meeting. Perhaps they are keeping it to themselves until later.”