BICOM

Expert-level meetings between United States and Iranian officials took place yesterday as it was announced that the next round of talks between the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran will take place on 18 September.

Michael Mann, spokesperson for P5+1 delegation head Catherine Ashton, said yesterday that the negotiations, which aim to quell international concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme. They will take place in New York, where world leaders will be gathered for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. Mann explained that the format of negotiations will include bilateral talks between the three European states and Iran plus the US and Iran.

Iran and the P5+1 concluded a six-month agreement in Geneva in November 2013, which saw Tehran reduce some of its enrichment capacity in return for a loosening of selected sanctions. However, both sides are now looking to broker a longer-term settlement, but were unable to meet a 20 July deadline. The last round of talks concluded with an arrangement to extend the talks until 24 November.

The diplomatic preparation for this month’s negotiations has already begun. Yesterday, a high-level team of US experts, led by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Under Secretary Wendy Sherman met with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva. Earlier this week, Catherine Ashton met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif, who described their meeting as “good” but told France 24 that the P5+1 should “avoid any excessive demands” over enrichment.

Next week, Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz will lead an Israeli delegation to Washington in order to consult with US officials ahead of the P5+1 talks. Speaking to Israel Radio this week, Steinitz warned that “if there is no dramatic development in the coming month then either there will be no deal, or there will be a bad deal leaving Iran a nuclear threshold state, and this is of course something we are not willing to accept.”