President’s Aide Optimistic about Outcomes of Iran-World Powers N. Talks

(FNA)- Iranian President’s Advisor in Cultural Affairs Hessameddin Ashena underlined that Israel's efforts to derail nuclear talks between Tehran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) are doomed to failure.

Speaking on the sidelines of a visit of 2014 International Tehran Media and News Agencies Exhibition on Saturday, Ashena said that the path of dialogue between Iran and the Sextet has not been blocked yet and both sides are optimistic about achieving a final agreement before deadline.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton and US Secretary of State John Kerry are scheduled to have a trilateral meeting in Muscat later today, whose agenda includes preparing the ground for the upcoming meeting between Tehran and the six major world powers. 

Iran and the six major world powers have already held 8 rounds of nuclear negotiations after inking an interim agreement in Geneva on November 24, 2013, and have less than three weeks time to strike a final deal before the November 24 deadline.

Tehran and the six powers have already held seven rounds of talks in Vienna, and one more round in New York and on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They are now preparing for their 9th round of negotiations due to be held in Masqat, Oman, on November 11.

The Geneva agreement took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20. In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 after they failed to reach an agreement on a number of key issues.