Iran nuclear talks fail

(Baonghean.vn) - After a week of negotiations in Vienna, Iran and the P5+1 group (including the UK, France, the US, Russia, China and Germany) failed to find a comprehensive agreement on Tehran's nuclear program before the deadline set on November 24.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond announced that ministers had decided to extend the talks by seven months until June 30, 2015. Long considered taboo to extend the talks because of the risks involved, negotiators in Vienna have floated the idea since Saturday. It is understood that the delay would have a major impact on the negotiators.

The P5+1 group of countries has failed to find a comprehensive deal on Iran's nuclear program. Photo: Heinz Peter Beder

Mr. Philip Hammond said that negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the major powers will continue under the terms of the Interim Agreement signed in Geneva in November 2013.

After 10 years of unsuccessful efforts, ministers had high hopes for the talks that took place last week. They hoped to reach an agreement that would pave the way for normalizing relations with Iran. Although Iran and the West still have deep differences over the nuclear issue, this was the first time that US and Iranian ministers John Kerry and Mohammad Javad Zarif had come together on the same idea. However, it seems that the opportunity was missed.

On Monday, November 24, Mr. John Kerry sounded optimistic when affirming that Iran and the world powers have made “significant progress.” The US Secretary of State spoke out strongly to defend the extension of the negotiations and called on the international community and the US Congress to support this. Mr. Kerry declared in Vienna that “it would be foolish for us to abandon the negotiations.” The US Secretary of State also said that “in the negotiations in Vienna, a certain consensus was reached on many issues and the views of the parties became closer.”

As the talks face the prospect of being dragged out for another year, a nuclear arms race is heating up in the region. Saudi Arabia, Iran’s arch-rival, is reportedly laying the groundwork for a civilian nuclear program. Following the announcement of the extension, Iran’s president said he would address the issue in a televised address on state television on Monday evening.

Chu Thanh– according to LeMonde 11/24