France and the United States reiterated their calls to the Iranian regime to prove its nuclear program is peaceful or risk losing what they see as the closest chance for a deal in years.
The call to Iran comes days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to meet with representatives of the Iranian regime and the European Union to discuss how to break the years-long deadlock before a self-imposed November 24 deadline is set for reaching an agreement to ease crippling sanctions in exchange for curing its nuclear program.
The French minister of foreign affairs, Laurent Fabius, said after meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris on Wednesday: “We believe it is pretty easy to prove to the world that a plan is peaceful.”
John Kerry said: “”They have a right to a peaceful program but not a track to a bomb.” Kerry said.”
Kerry insisted that the U.S. is not prepared to extend the looming deadline, just three weeks away with scant sign of a final agreement.
“We have no intention at this point of talking about an extension, and we’re not contemplating an extension,” said Kerry.
He stated that reaching a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers will be more difficult if negotiations drag beyond a November 24 deadline.
Kerry is due to meet in Muscat, Oman, on November 9 with Mohammad Javad Zarif and Catherine Ashton, who recently completed her term as the EU’s foreign policy chief.
Those high-level talks are due to be followed on November 11 by technical negotiations between Iran and the six outside powers: China, Russia, the United States, France, Britain and Germany.
Kerry said he could foresee an extension of the talks “if we were inches away” from an agreement, with only details to be filled.
But if there are “big issues hanging out there,” he said, “No, I don’t.”