Talks between Iran, world powers focus on nuclear program
Source tells Washington Post world powers condemn recent assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist; tell Saeed Jalili 'heart of mistrust is Iran's nuclear program'
WASHINGTON – Talks held in Geneva on Monday between Iran and the six world powers focused on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, according to the Washington Post.
Despite the fact that Iranian officials vowed that the nuclear program was not on the table, an official familiar with the proceedings told the Post that "70 to 80 percent" of the more than three hours of morning talks was focused on the program.
According to officials and Iran's state-run Mehr News Agency, the chief Iranian negotiator, Saeed Jalili of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, began his presentation by noting the recent killing of a top Iranian nuclear scientist. The lead negotiator for the six world powers - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton - said that all six countries present condemned the assassination, and the discussion turned to other matters, the Post reported.
A source close to the talks was quoted by the Post as saying that Jalili focused on the mutual mistrust between Iran and the other nations at the table, which were the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Jalili raised the possibility of working together on regional issues and the other nations responded that "the heart of the mistrust is Iran's nuclear program," the source told the American daily.
Jalili and Ashton. 'Positive' talks (Photo: Reuters)
A Western official was quoted by the Post as saying that after Jalili spoke, representatives for each of the other nations urged that Iran's nuclear program be discussed.
The atmosphere of the talks was described as "constructive" and "positive," the report said.
On the eve of the talks in Geneva, a bipartisan group of senators sent US President Barack Obama a letter urging him to emphasize that the US intends to "keep ratcheting" up the pressure on Iran and that there will be "no possibility of any freeze or reductions" in sanctions until we get a "full, verifiable and sustained suspension" of the Iranians enrichment activities.
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