The nuclear talks between Iran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany will miss its July 20 deadline due to unresolved important issues. The next rendezvous will be slated in September but details are yet to be determined. This year’s round of talks have scored goals in some fundamental matters although some still remain to be controversial between the parties.
Iran’s nuclear program has raised some eyebrows in the Middle East and in the West despite assurances from Tehran that it is not part of a military program. The U.S has been leading the way to discourage Iran’s nuclear ambitions with sanctions. The end of talks without a deal has been seen as U.S president Barack Obama as a sign of having “more work to do.” He acknowledged that Iran honored some of its commitments under the interim deal but that big gaps remained.
In Tehran, President Rouhani has attached the continuation of the talks to giving Iran its due respect on the international stage and necessity to seek diplomatic solutions. He underlined that “if the other side shows a respect to Iranians’ rights within the international framework, we will continue the negotiations and extend its duration if necessary.”
Iran’s refusal to forgo its nuclear program resulted to several sanctions, mainly financial and material, from the US. Rouhani has rejected claims that his country is attending talks due to sanction pressures but rather “for the peace and stability of the region and for the good of the world.” “We have never been afraid of sanctions … and we hope that the other side has understood this fact,” he added. Rouhani concluded that they have been “flexible” during talks but they won’t “slacken over the nuclear rights.”