US, EU and Iran in last-minute push for N-deal

Washington

THE United States, the European Union (EU) and Iran began meetings in Oman in a last-minute push to reach an agreement over Iran's nuclear programme ahead of a Nov 24 deadline for a comprehensive deal. US Secretary of State John Kerry and the EU's former foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, met Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif ahead of formal negotiations scheduled to begin on Nov 18 in Vienna.

A final deal would require Iran to submit to limits on its nuclear future in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Mr Kerry has said "big gaps" remain between the sides, including the scope of the country's uranium enrichment programme, how and when to lift economic sanctions, and how long Iran's nuclear programme must remain under international inspections and safeguards.

Mr Zarif, arriving in Muscat for the talks, told Iranian Students News Agency "if the Western side can trust that our aim is peaceful and they don't have political motives, now is a good time to set the framework of the agreement". The main areas of contention are the scope of Iran's enrichment programme and the method for lifting the sanctions, he said.

In another potential hurdle, a recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran isn't abiding by a May agreement to provide information about two areas that have raised suspicions. Iran denies it aims to build nuclear weapons and says its nuclear programme is for energy and medical purposes.

US President Barack Obama wrote to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month noting their countries' interest in fighting the Sunni militant group Islamic State. Mr Obama said cooperation on that front would be possible only if an agreement on Iran's nuclear programme could be reached.

Iranian diplomats and former US officials have said an extension may be warranted if the sides can't bridge their differences before Nov 24.

Iran insists its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes, including medical research, while the US and other members of the P5+1 group - France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China - suspect it is intended to produce weapons. Sunday's meeting comes a year after the P5+1 reached an interim deal with Iran in which it agreed to limit some of its nuclear activity in exchange for some sanctions relief. BLOOMBERG