Iran Rejects Report Of Nuclear Deal With P5+1

TEHRAN – The Iranian foreign ministry dismissed as “media hype” a report by the Associated Press claiming that Tehran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) have struck agreements on certain under-negotiation issues, FNA reported.

 “Such media hues and cries are carried out in pursuit of special political objectives and their main goal is destroying the atmosphere of the negotiations and further complicating the settlement of issues,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman MarziyehAfkham said.

The AP claimed in a report on January 2 that Iran and the United States had tentatively agreed on a formula to commit Tehran to ship to Russia its nuclear materials.

AP quoted two diplomats as saying that negotiators at the December round of nuclear talks drew up for the first time a catalog outlining areas of potential accord and differing approaches to remaining disputes.

“The diplomats said differences still dominate ahead of the next round of Iran-six power talks on Jan. 15 in Geneva. But they suggested that even agreement to create a to-do list would have been difficult previously because of wide gaps between the sides,” the AP report added.

Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until July 1 after they failed to reach an agreement on a number of key issues.

Late last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif underlined that Tehran wants a full removal of all sanctions if there is to be a deal with the world powers.

“The negotiating team backed by the Iranian nation’s resistance, seeks the removal of sanctions all at once,” Zarif said, addressing a meeting with Iranian lawmakers in December.

Noting that the sensitive nature of the negotiations and the differences have prolonged the negotiations between Tehran and the G5+1, he said, “The negotiations continue in a precise manner.”

Zarif underscored that the Iranian side was aware of the pressures exerted on the other side and would continue the talks, adding that based on Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei’s order, “if there is a logical proposal, we will accept it, otherwise, we will be ready for any outcomes”.

In a relevant development in December, Zarif sent separate letters to his counterparts in all the world states to reiterate that any nuclear deal with the world powers should include annulment of all sanctions against Tehran.

“… lifting of all sanctions, is an essential component of any agreement. But some members of P5+1 (G5+1) have become increasingly reluctant to abandon this counterproductive, illegal and inhuman instrument of coercion even at the expense of putting in jeopardy the entire process that provides certainty and assures transparency,” Zarif said in separate letters to his counterparts in different world states.

He briefed his counterparts on the latest developments in the negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the G5+1 on Tehran’s peaceful nuclear program

R.S