Iran's Zarif pushes plan to break nuclear deadlock to P5+1 meeting
A senior Iranian negotiator cautioned it was too early to say whether the Islamic Republic and six world powers made progress yesterday towards resolving the decade-old standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear plans.
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had told reporters earlier that Iran - now with a moderate president committed to easing its international isolation - had presented a proposal capable of achieving a breakthrough in the deadlock.
But Araqchi was more circumspect when he spoke after the first day of a planned October 15-16 meeting in Geneva between Iran and the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany. "It's too soon to judge," he said when asked whether the two sides were any closer to resolving a stalemate that has heightened the risk of a new Middle East war.
The West suspects Iran is trying to develop the means to make nuclear weapons behind the screen of a declared civilian atomic energy programme. Tehran denies this, but its refusal to limit activity applicable to producing atomic bombs, or to permit unfettered UN inspections, has drawn severe sanctions.
Iran began negotiations in earnest with the six powers two months after President Hassan Rouhani took office promising conciliation over confrontation in relations with the world.
Details of the Iranian proposal - unveiled as a nearly one hour-long PowerPoint presentation - were not immediately available.
