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Netanyahu says global powers must stand firm as Iran nuclear talks continue in Oman
Senior representatives of the European Union (EU), United States and Iran will meet for an unscheduled second day of talks in Oman today as the 24 November deadline to agree a long-term arrangement over Iran’s nuclear development approaches.
Baroness Ashton, who heads the P5+1 delegation (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany), US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif participated in what Reuters described as “intense” talks yesterday in Muscat, the capital of Oman. Since a six-month agreement between the P5+1 and Iran expired, the two sides have struggled to conclude a longer-term arrangement and there has been little sign of tangible progress to meet this month’s deadline. Several significant gaps remain, most notably the size and scope of Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity.
The summit in Oman is a prelude full negotiations between the delegations during the coming two weeks. Oman’s Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi gave an upbeat assessment, telling reporters, “By the level of commitment all parties are showing … There is no going back … I feel that all parties are positively willing to reach an agreement.” However, speaking to CBS News, US President Obama cautioned that “big gaps” remain and that, “We may not be able to get there.” The BBC reports a potential added complication, with a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report apparently showing that Iran has failed to fulfil its pledge to answer questions over suspected covert nuclear activity. Meanwhile the Washington non-proliferation think tank ISIS claimed over the weekend that Iran has breached the Join Plan of Action agreement with the P5+1 by feeding uranium into an a new kind of advanced centrifuge.
As the nuclear talks intensify, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that the international community faces a “clear choice.” He said, “It can cave to Iranian demands in an agreement that would be dangerous for Israel and the world. Or it can stand firm and insist that Iran dismantle its capacity to produce nuclear weapons.” Netanyahu added that Israel will not support any agreement which allows Iran to become a threshold nuclear state.