Nuclear Talks with Iran in Trouble as Soon as They Start

Talks with Iran have begun to fall apart shortly after the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany opened them with the Islamic Republic on April 5 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. 

Although the six nations had given Iran terms to consider before the talks began, once they were underway it was quickly evident that Iran was focused on “reworking” the terms and reverting to a proposal “it made last year” in “talks [that] broke up in disagreement” as well.

While the six nations are pressing Iran to cut back on its uranium enrichment and stockpile of nuclear materials, Iran is using the talks to demand “international recognition of its right to advanced nuclear technology.”

Regarding the demands of the six nations, Iran is asking for “sweeping sanctions relief” in exchange for compliance. 

In the background of these talks is the knowledge that Iran is operating “more than 10,000 centrifuges” and they are but a few years–at most–“from completing a reactor that will produce plutonium,” thus providing another pathway to nuclear arms.