On Feb. 23, 2015, Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - concluded another round of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program in Geneva. Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz joined the talks for the first time to provide technical expertise, but Secretary of State John Kerry noted that their presence was "no indication whatsoever that something is about to be decided." Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the two sides held "good discussions" but that "there is a long way to reach a final agreement." The following are quotes from officials on the status of the nuclear talks.
"@Hassanvand: Latest photos from latest round of #IranTalks & #IrantalksGeneva pic.twitter.com/QHy9sz3w4h" #diplomacy
— Milad Jokar (@Milad_Jokar) February 22, 2015
Iran
President Hassan Rouhani
Allegations that Iran is pursuing a secret nuclear program are a "big lie." “We first turned to Europeans to get the [uranium enrichment] technology; If we wanted to conceal [our activities] we wouldn’t raise these issues with a Western country."
— Feb. 23, 2015, according to the press
“A polling has shown an overwhelming majority of the public supporting the nuclear talks with the 5+1; this is important that a path where the government moves is supported by the public.”
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
The inclusion of Moniz and Salehi reflected a need "for higher level people with all-embracing command over all issues." Tehran will not accept a "incomplete and vague" nuclear accord, but rather a "complete agreement."
“No other deal will be made before a complete agreement is clinched."
“The deputies had good discussions, but no particular agreement has been made on the issues (at hand).”
"We had serious talks with the P5+1 representatives and especially with the Americans in the past three days ... But still there is a long way to reach a final agreement."
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has announced that we will accept an agreement in a single phase and all its details should be clear and it should contain no ambiguities.”
“We believe only when all the dimensions of the agreement are clarified the time will be ripe for announcing the agreement.”
— Feb. 18, 2015 in a press conference
Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi
"We will continue the negotiations as long as there is a language of respect…, but we will surely leave the table if this (bullying) approach is extended to the negotiating table."
"Kerry's statements about the nuclear talks were repetition of (US President Barack) Obama's last week statements and these remarks have always been repeated and we believe that they do not influence the negotiations."
"Both the US and other G5+1 members have experienced that political and media pressures will never make the Islamic Republic of Iran change its methods, demands and stances in the negotiations."
"Summing up the discussions, we cannot claim that progress has been made in the talks, we still have differences, but the negotiating sides are seriously and resolutely following up the negotiations to reach a solution although they have not achieved comprehensive solutions over key issues."
United States
Secretary of State John Kerry
The presence of Iranian Atomic Energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is no "indication whatsoever that something is about to be decided...There are still significant gaps." The president "is fully prepared to stop these talks if he feels that they're not being met with the kind of productive decision-making necessary to prove that a program is in fact peaceful."
"The P5+1 remains united on the subject of Iran. There is absolutely no divergence whatsoever in what we believe is necessary for Iran to prove that its nuclear program is going to be peaceful into the future."
— Feb. 21, 2015, in a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond
“President Obama has made it clear that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon. Since late 2013, we have been testing whether that goal can be achieved through determined multilateral diplomacy. The so-called P5+1 talks have made considerable progress but have not yet reached a satisfactory consensus on all critical questions. During our deliberations, for the first time in a decade, we’ve halted the progress of Tehran’s nuclear program and even rolled it back in key respects. We will know soon whether we will be able to reach a verifiable and comprehensive plan to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is wholly peaceful. We will continue to consult closely with you as our efforts progress. Although I cannot predict the outcome, I do believe that an agreement of the type we seek would advance America’s interests and that of our allies in the Middle East, strengthen the global nonproliferation regime, and serve the cause of international stability and peace.”
“On Iran, sure it’s controversial. But we are daring to believe that diplomacy will provide a better alternative to ridding Iran of nuclear weapons than a war, or going first to the threats that lead to confrontation.”
— Feb. 24, 2015, in a testimony to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
"In the Iran negotiations, we are not complete; I don’t know if we’ll get there. But I know that trying is the essence of United States leadership, to find out whether or not there is a way with diplomacy to succeed in preventing a country from getting a nuclear weapon. And that we owe it to our citizens and the world to prove our willingness to try to do it peacefully before we have to make other choices, if we did."
— Feb. 25, 2015, in remarks to the House Appropriations Committee on Foreign Operations
Russia
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov
"We are satisfied to see every new meeting achieve further progress."
"There is a growing confidence that an agreement will be reached by the assigned deadline - in other words, June 30."
— Feb. 24, 2015, according to the press
Photo credit: John Kerry via State Dept Flickr (US Government work)