Big powers fail to advance nuclear talks with Iran

JOINT efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry and three other Western foreign ministers yesterday failed to advance faltering nuclear talks with Iran, with the target date for a deal only a week away.

German foreign minister FrankWalter Steinmeier and John Kerry, took the opportunity to discuss espionage. Picture: AP

“There has been no breakthrough today,” said Foreign Secretary William Hague after meetings with Mr Kerry and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Iran in Vienna yesterday.

The trip gave Mr Kerry a chance to ease an espionage dispute with Germany. After meeting with German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, both stressed the importance of their co-operation in solving global crises, yet offered little indication they have fully mended ties.

Separately, Mr Kerry spoke by telephone with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the escalating Mideast violence. Like the others, he also met with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

But the dispute over Iran’s enrichment program defied the Western foreign ministers’ combined diplomatic muscle. Tehran says it needs to expand enrichment to make reactor fuel but the US fears Tehran could steer the activity toward manufacturing the core of nuclear missiles. The US wants deep enrichment cuts; Iran wants to greatly expand enrichment.

“There is a huge gap” over enrichment, said Mr Hague, in comments echoed by the other foreign ministers.

The dispute and other differences mean that six world powers and Tehran will continue negotiations until 20 July and could decide to extend their talks past that informal deadline for a deal. Such an agreement would buy time to negotiate a pact limiting the scope of such programs in exchange for a full end to nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran.

“Obviously we have some very significant gaps still, so we need to see if we can make some progress,” Mr Kerry said before a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who is convening the talks.

“It is vital to make certain that Iran is not going to develop nuclear weapons, that their program is peaceful. That’s what we are here trying to achieve.”

Mr Steinmeier said he and other Western foreign ministers had made clear in meetings with Iranian officials that “the ball is Iran’s court.”

“It is now time for Iran to decide whether they want co-operation with the world community or stay in isolation,” he said.

The show of Western unity notwithstanding, Mr Kerry’s presence was most important. With the most significant disputes between Washington and Tehran, his visit gave him a chance to discuss them directly with Zarif.