Iran: Difficult differences at nuke talks

Seven-nation talks on a deal meant to start a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief were delayed Thursday as senior envoys from both sides wrestled with a draft they hoped would be acceptable to both Tehran and its six world powers negotiating with it.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested that the momentum characterizing much of a previous round had been slowed, as top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton sat down with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss the draft.

As the two broke for lunch, Zarif said the two were discussing “details and wording” of the document but pointed to what his country sees as a potential problem ahead.

“We expect the West to have a united stance over the draft,” he told Iranian state TV, alluding to what Iran says were complications to reaching a first-step deal at the last round earlier this month because of differences among the six world powers.

Araghchi suggested those differences had set back the talks: “What we are trying now is to rebuild confidence that we lost in the previous round of negotiations.” He spoke of some unspecified “misunderstanding or … mismanagement in the previous round,” and of the “difficult job” of trying to bridge differences.

A follow-up between Ashton and Araghchi appeared to make some headway, however, with Araghchi telling Iran’s IRNA news agency that the two sides had “common viewpoints in many cases, while there are serious differences in some cases.”

He also said talks have included possible ways to reduce sanctions on Iranian oil sales and banking. The U.S. and its partners have spoken of offering some financial concessions, such as unfreezing Iranian bank accounts from previous oil sales.

If the talks produce a deal to freeze Iran’s nuclear efforts, negotiators will pursue a more comprehensive agreement that would ensure that Tehran’s program is solely for civilian purposes. Iran would get some sanctions relief under such a first-step deal, without any easing of the harshest measures — those crippling its ability to sell oil, its main revenue maker.

Details of sanctions relief being discussed have not been revealed. But a member of the U.S. Congress and legislative aides Wednesday put the figure at $6 billion to $10 billion, based on what they said were estimates from the U.S. administration.

The aides and the member of Congress spoke anonymously because they weren’t authorized to divulge the estimate publicly.

A member of the Iranian delegation said his country recognizes that core oil and banking sanctions could not be lifted immediately but suggested Iran was looking for some relief in those sectors over the six-month time-frame of a first-step agreement.

He also indicated that Iran was ready to discuss a limit on its uranium enrichment — which can create both reactor fuel and the core of nuclear warheads. But he suggested that Iran wants at least indirect mention of Tehran’s insistence that it has a right to uranium enrichment — something the United States and its allies have resisted.