Western Powers Adamant to Sanctions Removal
(FNA)- A source close to the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the six world powers underway in Lausanne, Switzerland, said despite Iran's various proposals for the removal of the sanctions as enshrined under the Geneva Interim deal, the US and France are adamant to end the standoff by rejecting the offers.
"The Iranian team has taken several goodwill measures to work out a deal, but the United States and France insist on keeping the pressures in place despite the Geneva interim deal which envisaged a removal of the sanctions under a final agreement between Iran and the world powers," the source who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the talks told FNA on Tuesday night.
Iran and its supreme leader have repeatedly stressed that removal of the sanctions are "the Islamic Republic's redline".
"Despite their earlier indications that they are ready to remove the sanctions, the US and France have once again shifted course and are adamant to accept any solution raised by the Iranian team for removing the sanctions," he reiterated.
Earlier tonight, ranking member of the Iranian team of nuclear negotiator Hamid Baeedinejad said Tehran and the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) have come into terms with each other over a major part of the issues related to the removal of the sanctions against Iran and they are now working on details.
"So far, many aspects related to the issue of the sanctions have been settled, including the removal of the unilateral and multilateral sanctions, and most of details have been written down," Baeedinejad, who is the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Director-General for Political and International Affairs, told channel 2 of Iran's state-run TV in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Tuesday evening.
He pointed to Iran's concerns over the western powers' possible defiance from their commitments after endorsing a deal with Tehran, and said, "We will fulfill our commitments in case the other side fulfills its undertakings, and if the western side refrains from complying with its undertakings, we will stop implementing our commitments too; therefore, there is no concern in this regard."
"We are in the final stage of negotiations now; we are now working on some limited issues related to the sanctions along with a number of other issues, including research and development and we hope that the whole subject of the sanctions will be settled after resolving the few remaining problems," he added.
Baeedinejad said Tehran and the G5+1 are in the final stage of their talks, adding that the negotiations now focus on removal of sanctions, research and development as well as enrichment-related issues.
"We are in the final stage of the negotiations," Baeedinejad said.
He further pointed out that issues such as sanctions, research and development as well as enrichment are top on the agenda of the talks, and said, "We hope to find the solutions in the final stages."
The Iranian Foreign Ministry official underlined that the negotiations are now at "a very important stage".
Baeedinejad reiterated that the negotiating sides are serious and are trying to achieve a serious agreement, and said, "Iran has always said it does not want an agreement for the sake of agreement, but it is seeking an agreement that guarantees Iran's rights."
He said that the negotiations might continue after midnight to study the issues for which no solution has been found yet, and mentioned that the negotiating teams are focused on the contents now.
"New proposals are raised; the negotiators are serious and relentless efforts continue to reach a solution, but the (final) agreement will be struck when all issues are resolved."
The Iranian negotiator reiterated that the negotiations will continue as long as needed.
Iran and Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) started their new round of talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday to narrow their differences over Tehran's nuclear energy program ahead of a July 1 deadline.