Iranian nuclear: Washington sees “modest” progress in negotiations

These progress, however, are “far too slow”, told the press the spokesman for the US State Department Tuesday, the day after the recovery of the talks.

Le Monde with AFP

The United States reported on Tuesday, December 28 of progress in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program, but joined Europeans to insist on “urgency” to conclude discussions against nuclear advances in Tehran.

“We have noticed in recent days that there might have had modest progress in recent discussions,” said the spokesman for the US State Department, Ned Price, after the recovery Negotiations in Vienna to try to save the 2015 Agreement on Iranian nuclear power (whose acronym in English is JCPOA).

“But the parties must seek to rely on these progress in a constructive spirit and with conviction,” he added, believing that he was “too early to say if these progress [had] Any substance “. This progress is whatever happens “far too slow” and “it can not last,” prosecuted the spokesman. “It will soon be too late to return to the mutual respect of the JCPOA”.

“Unprecedented”

Negotiators of the three European countries (France, Germany, United Kingdom) signatories of the agreement also stressed that this negotiation was “urgent”. “It is clear that we are approaching the point where Iran’s nuclear climbing will have emptied the JCPOA of its substance,” they noted, reiterating that it remained “weeks and not months to conclude an agreement”.

In particular, insisted on the level of uranium enrichment by Iran, which approaches dangerously from the nuclear threshold, even if Tehran said Saturday not intending to enrich beyond 60% In case of failure of the negotiations in Vienna. “We take note of the commentary of the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization that Iran will not enrich beyond 60%,” they said.

“It remains unricating at 60% is unprecedented for a non-nuclear weapon”, they added. “The increase in its 60% uranium stocks brings Iran significantly from obtaining the fissile material that can be used for the manufacture of a nuclear weapon,” they hammered.

The issue of the talks aims to bring back to the Covenant the United States, which left it in 2018, and to bring Tehran back to respect for its commitments, broken in response to the recovery of American sanctions. Iran announced in April to have started producing 60% enriched uranium, well beyond the 3.67% threshold fixed by the International Agreement, which is closer to the 90% necessary for the making of An atomic bomb even if he denies having such a project.

Discussions still “very difficult”

In addition to the three European countries, China and Russia are also involved in negotiating with Iran. The United States participates indirectly.

The coordinator of the European Union (EU) Enrique MORA, who chairs the talks, said Monday that all parties had shown “a clear willingness to work on the success of this negotiation” but predicted discussions still “very difficult “in the” days and weeks to come “.

The Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, cited by the Official Press Agency Irna, said on Tuesday that the negotiations were “on the right track”. “With the goodwill and seriousness of the other parties, we can hope [reach] an agreement in the near future,” he said.

According to the Permanent Representative of Russia to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Oulianov, the Working Group on Nuclear Issues had “a useful meeting” Tuesday. “We observe undeniable progress,” he said on Twitter. The lifting of sanctions is also “actively discussed” informally, he added.

/Media reports.