BICOM

Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) will begin the latest round of talks in Vienna today over Iran’s nuclear programme.

In November, Iran and the P5+1 agreed a six-month deal under which Iran halted its development of twenty per cent enriched uranium, limiting itself to five per cent enriched material, in return for limited sanctions relief. However, Iran was not required to dismantle any of its centrifuges, leaving the infrastructure for atomic development in place. Last month, the two sides appeared to reach agreement on a framework and agenda for talks to reach a long-term solution to Iran’s nuclear development.

But, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif said earlier this week that he expects this round of talks to be tougher than those in February. Reuters speculates that the P5+1 delegates will push on issues such as specific levels of uranium enrichment and the Arak heavy water plant. The Times this morning says that Iranian officials are furious at attempts to put its ballistic missile programme on the agenda of today’s talks, despite concerns that the weapons are an integral component of a potential nuclear threat.  Vann Van Diepen, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-Proliferation, said on Sunday that Iran continues to procure items for their nuclear and missiles programme in breach of UN embargoes.  

Reuters also quotes an unnamed Iranian official who said that Iran’s “red line is closure of any nuclear site and stopping enrichment.” The current round of talks is potentially further complicated by tension between Russia and the United States and the European Union over the future of Ukraine, making P5+1 unity especially challenging.

Meanwhile, Haaretz reports comments made yesterday by Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon who indicated at an event at Tel Aviv University, that Israel could be forced to act alone to tackle Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He said, “We had thought the ones who should lead the campaign against Iran is the United States,” but that with talks seemingly unlikely to halt Iran’s nuclear development, “we have to behave as though we have nobody to look out for us but ourselves.”