The tense international negotiations aimed at preventing the Iranian regime from developing nuclear weapons are headed down to the wire with prospects darkening after Tehran rejected what Western negotiators consider a critical part of any deal.
For months, the Iranian regime tentatively agreed that it would send a large portion of its stockpile of uranium to Russia, where it would not be accessible for use in any future weapons program. But on Sunday deputy foreign minister of the clerical regime made a surprise comment to Iranian reporters, ruling out an agreement that involved giving up a stockpile that has cost the country billions of dollars to amass.
“The export of stocks of enriched uranium is not in our program, and we do not intend sending them abroad,” the official, Abbas Araqchi, told the Iranian media, according to Agence France-Presse. “There is no question of sending the stocks abroad.”
The New York Times reported “Western officials confirmed that Iran was balking at shipping the fuel out, but insisted that there were other ways of dealing with the material. Chief among those options, they said, was blending it into a more diluted form.”
“Nonetheless, the revelation that Iran is now insisting on retaining the fuel could raise a potential obstacle at a critical time in the talks. And for critics of the emerging deal in Congress, in Israel and in Sunni Arab nations like Saudi Arabia, the prospect of leaving large amounts of nuclear fuel in Iran, in any form, is bound to intensify their already substantial political opposition,” the Times added.
On Sunday, the Speaker of House of Representatives made it clear they would press for more sanctions against the Iranian regime if no agreement is reached here by Tuesday.
In an interview with CNN, Speaker John A. Boehner expressed doubts about a potential agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that: “As negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal come down to the wire, the White House is ramping up a yearlong campaign to persuade lawmakers and the public to support an agreement.”
“In recent days, officials have tried to neutralize skeptical Democrats by arguing that opposing President Barack Obama would empower the new Republican majority, according to people familiar with the discussions.”
“Meanwhile, the Obama administration has lined up Republicans to try to tamp down a likely political battle over any deal with Iran and scientists to defend an agreement on its technical merits.”
“Perhaps most significant, White House officials have begun to express privately a willingness to accept legislation that gives Congress some oversight of the nuclear deal if talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne result in agreement on the main outlines of a final nuclear deal before Tuesday night’s deadline.”
“There’s a recognition that Congress is going to take some sort of vote after negotiations are complete,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) in an interview. The White House’s outreach is “ratcheting up by the hour.”
