Washington DC [US], May 26 (ANI): The United States and Iran are engaged in efforts to resolve differences over the wording related to Tehran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions for the peace deal aimed at finalising a solution to the hostilities in West Asia, amid negotiations to make incremental progress in the deal, CNN reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.
According to CNN, citing US officials, the disagreements over “language on Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of sanctions” have slowed the finalisation of a broader understanding to finalise the deal between Tehran and Washington, though there is growing optimism that the gaps could be bridged soon.
A US official noted that the presence of an Iranian delegation in Qatar on Monday, including senior members of Tehran’s negotiating team, was viewed as a positive development, citing Qatar’s role as a mediator in facilitating dialogue, CNN reported.
Head of Iran’s negotiating team and Speaker of its Parliament, MB Ghalibaf, and the Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, are present in Qatar.
The United States has been seeking firm assurances from Iran that it will dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and will not pursue nuclear weapons capability.
A US official said on Sunday that Iran had agreed in principle to those conditions, CNN reported.
However, Iranian representatives have maintained that detailed discussions on the nuclear programme are not currently on the table and will be addressed in a subsequent round of negotiations.
Earlier today, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Email Baqaei said that the negotiations underway are presently focused on ending the war and that details about the nuclear issue have not been discussed.
“The focus of the negotiations is on ending the war, and at this stage, we are not discussing details of the nuclear issue,” the spokesperson said during a weekly press briefing.
According to CNN, citing a regional source, the nuclear issue “is one of the main sticking points in the negotiations,” and that “Things are changing every single minute.”
On the other hand, Tehran has reportedly been pressing for clear commitments on sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets, which it says are essential to support its struggling economy.
The United States has maintained that any financial relief would depend on tangible progress on the nuclear issue.
Officials have repeatedly emphasised the sequencing of commitments, encapsulated in the phrase, “No dust, no dollars,” referring to the nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium that Washington insists must be disposed of before any sanctions relief is provided, CNN reported.
Despite the ongoing gaps, officials have expressed cautious optimism that differences between the two sides could be resolved in the near term. (ANI)
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