Iran and world’s leading powers fail to resolve nuclear impasse

Critics believe that Iran aims to use the talks to buy time while pressing
ahead with its nuclear programme. Anxious to avoid this outcome, western
diplomats say they do not want negotiations for the sake of negotiations.

Accordingly, the only agreement in Moscow was to arrange a meeting of experts
on July 3 in Istanbul to review the technical aspects of the positions of
the two sides. Depending on the outcome of this encounter, senior diplomats
from Iran and the “P5 plus 1” – the five permanent members of the UN
Security Council (American, Britain, France, Russia and China) and Germany –
could meet again, but there is no certainty. Even the question of whether to
allow the experts’ meeting to happen was said to have been a difficult one.

The dispute centres on a proposal made by the “P5 plus 1”. They want Iran to
stop enriching uranium to 20 per cent purity, ship its existing stockpile of
this material out of the country and close a previously secret nuclear plant
at Fordow.

Uranium enriched to this level is close to the material required for a nuclear
weapon, although Iran says the only intention is to fuel a civilian research
reactor.

In return for taking these three steps, the “P5 plus 1” were prepared to ease
some sanctions imposed on Iran, notably those restricting the supply of
spare parts for civil airliners.

But Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief negotiator, insisted that the “P5 plus 1” must
recognise Iran’s “right” to enrich uranium and lift all sanctions before any
steps could be taken. After the talks, Mr Jalili said: “The enrichment of
uranium for peaceful purposes for all levels is an inalienable right.”

Six United Nations resolutions, by contrast, urge Iran to stop enriching
uranium, a process that could be used to make the core of a nuclear weapon.

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