Iran nuclear deal ‘not guaranteed’ warns EU chief
The European Union’s foreign policy chief said there is “no guarantee” world powers will reach a final deal with Iran.
Catherine Ashton has been in Tehran for meetings with Iranian officials on negotiations over the country’s nuclear programme.
Under an interim deal in November, Iran agreed to limit a key nuclear activity, uranium enrichment, in return for the West easing sanctions.
Negotiations for a final deal are ongoing. Ms Ashton leads the six-nation group – the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany – in talks with Iran.
“There is no guarantee we’ll succeed,” she told reporters in a joint briefing with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Mr Zarif said Iran will only accept a deal that respects its “rights,” a reference to uranium enrichment on its soil.
“I think this interim agreement is really important, but not as important as the comprehensive agreement that we are currently engaged in. Difficult, challenging, there’s no guarantee we’ll succeed,” Ms Ashton said.
Mr Zarif said: “Iran will only accept a solution that is respectful, that respects the rights of the Iranian people.
“At the same time Iran finds it in its own interest to make sure that there are no ambiguities about Iran’s intentions, because we have no intention to seek nuclear weapons.”
The two said they had also discussed fighting terrorism, drug trafficking, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Syria. Iran is a key ally of Syrian president Bashar Assad.
Under the historic deal, Iran agreed to halt its 20% enrichment programme, but will continue enrichment up to 5%. It also will convert half of its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium to oxide, and dilute the remaining half to 5%. Enrichment to 20% is a possible pathway to nuclear arms.
The West suspects Iran’s nuclear programme has a military dimension. Iran denies the charge, saying its nuclear activities are aimed at peaceful purposes like power generation and medical treatment.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
