Category: Iran

An Iranian nuclear official says the country may accept snap inspections of its atomic facilities should Iran and world powers reach a final agreement over Tehran’s contentious nuclear program. In 2003, Iran accepted the so-called "additional protocol" of snap inspections for two years, but parliament never ratified it. Quoted by official IRNA news agency, atomic energy organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said: "The government may accept the additional protocol based on its expediency and progress in the nuclear talks, but Iranian parliament makes the final decision." Iran and world powers – the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany – are negotiating to reach a final deal, with the next round convening July 2. The West suspects Iran’s nuclear program has a military dimension, a charge Iran denies.

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The Iranian and European Union flags stands in front of a poster of the Iran talks at the International Center in Vienna, where closed-door nuclear talks have been taking place this week. Associated Press VIENNA—With one month to go until a July 20 deadline, the odds of a high-stakes nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers appeared finely balanced, with senior diplomats saying this week’s talks had shown "progress" but warning that gaps may prove too wide to resolve. After five days of discussions in Vienna, top Iranian and U.S. officials demanded major concessions from the other side and there was no pretense of any sudden breakthrough. However, the negotiating teams departed Friday with a working document in hand—the first concrete advance in months. Diplomats said all sides appear committed to reach an accord and they left with plans to return July 2 for a mammoth negotiation session […]

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Negotiations with Iran over its disputed nuclear program entered their brinkmanship phase on Friday, with the toughest issues still unresolved a month before the deadline for a final agreement. Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, told reporters covering the talks in Vienna that the moment had come for the United States and its allies to take a “realistic approach” that recognizes Iran will produce significant amounts of nuclear fuel in coming years. The senior American negotiator, Wendy R. Sherman, the undersecretary of state for policy, said she doubted whether “Iran is really ready and willing to take all the steps necessary to assure the world” it has no desire or ability to produce a nuclear weapon. But the two sides showed some indications of progress: Both Mr. Zarif and Ms. Sherman headed home bearing what aides described as a first, tentative draft of a final agreement. The […]

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Talks between Iran and six major powers inched forward this week, with diplomats describing hints of progress Thursday but still citing "important differences" on most key issues. Diplomats from the six powers on Thursday described four days of negotiations in the Austrian capital as intense, tough and serious. While there was no sign of any major breakthrough in the talks, some officials pointed to positive signs. Everyone is "working with serious purpose" to reach a deal by July 20, one Western diplomat said, adding that there was "more clarity in seeing how this could be done." The discussions this week have been "a lot more real," the person said. A second official from the six-power group—the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, China and Russia—said there is "no doubt" both sides want to reach a deal. But the official said this week was "another really tough round." "Unsurprisingly…there are still […]

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They came to celebrate the short life of Ali Reza Moshajjari, a local boy from a south Tehran neighborhood and apparently the latest Iranian victim of the escalating sectarian conflict in neighboring Iraq and in Syria. He was a member of Tehran’s 209 battalion of the Imam Ali garrison of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the Iranian news media said, and representatives of elite units of the corps stood solemnly in a line, as men clad in black entered the mosque. As the service got underway, a chanter’s voice boomed through the mosque, echoing in the lofty dome, lined with blue and green tiles. “Our godless enemies behead our soldiers,” he said. From the women’s quarters, behind a panel segregating them from the men, a loud wailing commenced. Men shook their heads, and some clenched their fists. “Our youth was a special martyr,” the chanter said of […]

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Iranian oil production has increased as multilateral nuclear negotiations continue, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. Iran can export around 1 million bpd under the terms of a November arrangement that brought some relief from economic sanctions in exchange for a commitment to curb nuclear research activity. Rouhani said Saturday oil production has increased while nuclear talks with the members of the P5-plus-1 — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany — continue. "As negotiations go on with the P5+1 group, Iran’s oil production capacity has increased," he said Saturday. In early June, the U.S. government said it would "pause efforts to further reduce Iran’s crude-oil sales for a six-month period." Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said last week the country aims to more than double its crude oil production from 2.5 million barrels per day to 5.7 million bpd within the next three years. The Organization of […]

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Iranian oil production has increased as multilateral nuclear negotiations continue, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. Iran can export around 1 million bpd under the terms of a November arrangement that brought some relief from economic sanctions in exchange for a commitment to curb nuclear research activity. Rouhani said Saturday oil production has increased while nuclear talks with the members of the P5-plus-1 — Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany — continue. "As negotiations go on with the P5+1 group, Iran’s oil production capacity has increased," he said Saturday. In early June, the U.S. government said it would "pause efforts to further reduce Iran’s crude-oil sales for a six-month period." Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said last week the country aims to more than double its crude oil production from 2.5 million barrels per day to 5.7 million bpd within the next three years. The Organization of […]

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Iran stands ready to help Iraq’s government in its fight against Sunni Muslim insurgents within the framework of international law, although Baghdad has so far not requested assistance, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday. In a press conference broadcast live on state television, Rouhani also said Iran believed it was possible to conclude a comprehensive agreement ending its nuclear dispute with major powers by a July 20 deadline. Remaining differences could be settled through goodwill and flexibility, he said. Shi’ite Muslim Iran, which has strong leverage in Shi’ite-majority Iraq, is so alarmed by the Sunni jihadist advance from Iraq’s north that it may be ready to cooperate with longtime arch-enemy Washington in helping Baghdad fight back. A senior Iranian official told Reuters earlier this week that the idea is being discussed within the Tehran leadership. For now, officials say, Iran will send its neighbour advisers and […]

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Iran stands ready to help Iraq’s government in its fight against Sunni Muslim insurgents within the framework of international law, although Baghdad has so far not requested assistance, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday. In a press conference broadcast live on state television, Rouhani also said Iran believed it was possible to conclude a comprehensive agreement ending its nuclear dispute with major powers by a July 20 deadline. Remaining differences could be settled through goodwill and flexibility, he said. Shi’ite Muslim Iran, which has strong leverage in Shi’ite-majority Iraq, is so alarmed by the Sunni jihadist advance from Iraq’s north that it may be ready to cooperate with longtime arch-enemy Washington in helping Baghdad fight back. A senior Iranian official told Reuters earlier this week that the idea is being discussed within the Tehran leadership. For now, officials say, Iran will send its neighbour advisers and […]

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At first glance, Iran appears to have exported more oil than allowed under a nuclear agreement with major powers, but rather than complaining, U.S. officials argue Tehran is skating just inside the deal’s ambiguous limits. Iran’s higher exports reflect its exploitation of a loophole in U.S. law that allows its customers to buy condensates, a very light oil, without fear of U.S. sanctions. Rising gifts of crude oil to Syria are not covered by the deal. The major powers and Iran resume talks in Vienna on Monday aimed at reaching a comprehensive deal by July 20 for Iran to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions that have crippled its economy. With officials on all sides saying it will be hard to strike a final deal in the next five weeks, critics argue that whether Iran and its customers are respecting […]

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A comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers is "within reach" but the two sides are still "very far" apart on some issues, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Thursday. Iran and the six powers—the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Russia and China—are seeking to seal a comprehensive nuclear deal by July 20. An agreement would seek to address international concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for eventually lifting tight sanctions on Tehran. Speaking at the European Council on Foreign Relations event in Rome, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and pointman in the nuclear talks said "negotiations are now in a very critical stage." "There are still gaps. We need hard work, wisdom and creativity to bridge the gaps," he said. "A deal is within reach." If Iran and the six-power group fail to reach a deal by July 20, they could agree to extend the […]

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A comprehensive nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers is "within reach" but the two sides are still "very far" apart on some issues, Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Thursday. Iran and the six powers—the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Russia and China—are seeking to seal a comprehensive nuclear deal by July 20. An agreement would seek to address international concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for eventually lifting tight sanctions on Tehran. Speaking at the European Council on Foreign Relations event in Rome, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and pointman in the nuclear talks said "negotiations are now in a very critical stage." "There are still gaps. We need hard work, wisdom and creativity to bridge the gaps," he said. "A deal is within reach." If Iran and the six-power group fail to reach a deal by July 20, they could agree to extend the […]

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The Iranian government this week published its first detailed study of how long it estimates it would take its scientists and engineers to assemble a nuclear weapon, saying that with its current infrastructure, “the required time span is in years.” Iran described the estimate as entirely hypothetical, and it was clearly intended to allay fears that Iran has the ability to race for a bomb. Not surprisingly, American officials immediately disputed the conclusions, which contradicted both classified assessments by the United States government and many estimates by outside experts. But the very fact that Iran’s nuclear energy establishment wrote the eight-page report, titled “How Long Would an Iranian ‘Breakout’ Really Take?” was itself notable. Until now, Iran’s public position has been that its program is entirely peaceful and that it has never studied what it would take to amass the fuel for a weapon, which is known […]

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China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. , or Sinopec, has doubled production at its Iranian oil project, according to people familiar with the matter, a rare success as the country struggles to revive its flagging oil output. The push is part of a broader attempt by China and Iran to mend fences after the cancellation of a $2.5 billion oil-field deal with another Chinese state-owned giant, China National Petroleum Corp. Production at the Sinopec-run Yadvaran project, near the Iraqi border, has increased to about 50,000 barrels a day from 25,000 barrels a day in early April, the people said. Sinopec didn’t responded to repeated requests for comment. Sinopec is also pushing to start a new phase to boost output to 135,000 barrels a day, people familiar with the matter said. The increase will be welcomed by Iran where production has been heavily hit by international sanctions. Iranian crude output […]

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China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. , or Sinopec, has doubled production at its Iranian oil project, according to people familiar with the matter, a rare success as the country struggles to revive its flagging oil output. The push is part of a broader attempt by China and Iran to mend fences after the cancellation of a $2.5 billion oil-field deal with another Chinese state-owned giant, China National Petroleum Corp. Production at the Sinopec-run Yadvaran project, near the Iraqi border, has increased to about 50,000 barrels a day from 25,000 barrels a day in early April, the people said. Sinopec didn’t responded to repeated requests for comment. Sinopec is also pushing to start a new phase to boost output to 135,000 barrels a day, people familiar with the matter said. The increase will be welcomed by Iran where production has been heavily hit by international sanctions. Iranian crude output […]

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An oil tanker hauling crude from Iraq ’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region left Morocco ’s territorial waters without unloading, days after the same ship u-turned in the Atlantic Ocean amid a legal challenge relating to its cargo. “The United Leadership moved into international waters yesterday upon a request from Moroccan authorities,” Nadia Laraki, director general for Agence Nationale des Ports, said by phone today. “The issue is out of our hands. It has not docked and therefore has not unloaded a single cubic meter.” SOMO, Iraq’s oil-marketing company, said June 1 that buyers should not purchase the tanker’s cargo. Iraq’s oil ministry said May 23 it sought arbitration over Kurdish oil sales from Turkey at the International Chamber of Commerce . The Kurdistan Regional Government says it’s abiding by the Iraqi constitution, according to its website. Two calls to KRG officials today weren’t answered. The ship reached its destination, the […]

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The White House on Wednesday said global crude-oil supplies were sufficient to allow other nations to cut imports from Iran, though efforts to further curtail such sales were on hold while nuclear talks continue. "The United States has committed to pause efforts to further reduce Iran’s crude-oil sales for a six-month period," spokesman Jay Carney said. "In return for this and other limited relief measures, Iran has committed to take steps that halt—and in key respects roll back—progress on its nuclear program." The Obama administration has sought to squeeze Iran financially by limiting its access to financial markets and hard currency. The White House statement came in a statement required by Congress regarding the global supply of petroleum products from countries other than Iran. The statement was referring to existing agreements on Iran nuclear talks. "There currently appears to be sufficient supply of non-Iranian oil to permit foreign countries […]

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It is increasingly unlikely that six world powers and Iran will meet their July 20 deadline to negotiate a long-term deal for Iran to curb its nuclear program in return for an end to economic sanctions, diplomats and analysts say. In theory, an extension to the high-stakes talks should not be a problem if all sides want it. But President Barack Obama would need to secure Congress’ consent at a time of fraught relations between the administration and lawmakers. Iran, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China included the July 20 deadline to reach a comprehensive agreement in an interim deal they reached in Geneva on Nov. 24. The November agreement allowed for a six-month extension if more time was needed for a final deal to end sanctions on Iran and remove the threat of war. An extension would allow up to half […]

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Iran has said it should be able to produce fuel for its Bushehr nuclear power plant, a demand that world powers are unlikely to agree to and which may put a July deadline for a deal to end its nuclear standoff with the West in jeopardy. Diplomats from the major powers negotiating with Tehran said Iranian negotiators expressed the demand at the latest talks in May – identifying one reason little progress was made towards a nuclear deal that could end Tehran’s economic isolation. Iran’s ability to produce enriched uranium goes to the heart of a decade-old dispute over its nuclear program as the fuel can be used both to power reactors and – if further processed – to make the core of a nuclear warhead. "They expect to get capacity to fuel Bushehr and that’s unrealistic," one diplomat from the ‘P5+1’ countries in talks with […]

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Iran has said it should be able to produce fuel for its Bushehr nuclear power plant, a demand that world powers are unlikely to agree to and which may put a July deadline for a deal to end its nuclear standoff with the West in jeopardy. Diplomats from the major powers negotiating with Tehran said Iranian negotiators expressed the demand at the latest talks in May – identifying one reason little progress was made towards a nuclear deal that could end Tehran’s economic isolation. Iran’s ability to produce enriched uranium goes to the heart of a decade-old dispute over its nuclear program as the fuel can be used both to power reactors and – if further processed – to make the core of a nuclear warhead. "They expect to get capacity to fuel Bushehr and that’s unrealistic," one diplomat from the ‘P5+1’ countries in talks with […]

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| License Photo Iran expects to add to the $10 billion trade relationship with Turkey through further cooperation in the energy sector, Iran’s ambassador to Ankara said. Ambassador Aliereza Bigdeli spoke Thursday on bilateral trade during a summit in Ankara. Both countries, he said, are positioned well to take advantage of transit opportunities in the European and Asian energy sectors. Iran has said its gas resources could be a benefit to a European community struggling to break Russia’s grip on the region’s energy sector, though sanctions on Iran have put many investors on the sidelines. Iranian state media reports Turkey imported $10 billion worth of goods last year and that level could double given the right trade climate. In February, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said he’s ready to listen if Iran comes forward with new energy investment proposals, but nothing is in the works.

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BRUSSELS-—Iran has complied with its main pledges in last November’s interim nuclear deal, the United Nations’ atomic agency said in its quarterly report on Friday, continuing to refrain from enriching uranium to near-weapon-grade levels and converting its stockpile of nuclear material into less dangerous forms. The International Atomic Energy Agency also confirmed that Iran met its pledge to start addressing questions about past nuclear work. However, the report cited satellite evidence that Tehran was carrying out fresh work to clean up a military site in Parchin where Western governments believe Iran has carried out work that could be used to develop nuclear weapons. The IAEA’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear program is the last one before a July 20 deadline set by Iran and six major powers to clinch a comprehensive nuclear deal. A critical report could have set back the negotiations intended to convince Tehran to curtail its […]

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TEHRAN—As the thaw in relations between the West and Iran continues, the Islamic Republic is hoping to lure major oil companies back to invest in its all-important energy sector. But any oil firms that return to Iran will find a new force to be reckoned with: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, a military force set up in 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to protect the country’s Islamic political system. In particular, oil companies will find it necessary to come to some sort of accommodation with engineering contractor Khatam ol-Anbia, a company wholly owned by the Guards whose name means "Seal of the Prophets." Khatam was set up in 1989 following Iran’s war with Iraq to provide employment for Revolutionary Guards and make use of skills developed in the conflict such as building roads and bridges. With up to 40,000 employees, according to U.S. government estimates, the company has expanded to […]

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WASHINGTON — For six years, international nuclear inspectors have been demanding that Iran turn over evidence of experiments that they suspect could have been part of a secret effort to solve the complex science of detonating a nuclear weapon. On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency , the monitoring arm of the United Nations, said that it was finally beginning to see the information it had long sought — but that Iran insisted that the detonators were for non-nuclear purposes. The disclosure was buried in a report by the atomic agency that detailed major progress Iran had made in diluting most of its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium, nuclear fuel that the West has long feared could be converted relatively quickly into weapons-grade material. Getting Iran to dilute that uranium was perhaps the biggest single accomplishment of the interim deal struck last year, creating room for the current negotiations, which […]

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Iran continues to cut its most sensitive nuclear stockpile by more than 80 percent in implementing a milestone nuclear deal with six world powers, and is cooperating with the UN nuclear agency to provide greater transparency of its nuclear plan, a UN confidential report showed on Friday. A monthly updating confidential report of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), obtained by Xinhua, showed Tehran has been curbing its disputed nuclear activities under the landmark Geneva deal agreed in last November since the pact came into force on Jan. 20. The report said Iran has cut the amount of its 20 percent enriched uranium by more than 80 percent by diluting or feeding the nuclear stockpile into the conversion process during the past four months, which amounted to 209 kg when the deal took effect. "Iran’s stock of UF6 enriched up to 20% U-235 has decreased […]

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Foreign contractors working in the Iranian energy sector need to stay committed to their obligations or face expulsion, a development official said Tuesday. Abdorreza Haji Hosseinnejad, the director of Iran’s Petroleum Engineering and Development Co., said contractors need to respect the terms of their contracts with the Iranian government. "Unjustified delays, refusal to respect legal obligations in the development of fields particularly joint fields will lead to their removal," he said . Iran in early May canceled a contract with China National Petroleum Corp. for work at South Azadegan oil field, a 40-billion barrel field straddling the Iran-Iraq border. Awarded the contract in 2009, Iran says CNPC was dragging its feet on the project. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh had said Chinese companies were still welcome to participate in Iran’s energy sector despite issues with CNPC, though the development official said all parties working on […]

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Three more sections of the South Pars natural gas field in the Persian Gulf are expected online this year, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangenah said. The Iranian government expects Phase 12 of a gas field it shares with Qatar will boost South Pars production by more than 875 million cubic feet per day once it’s online in late May or early June. Zanganeh said during a Sunday tour of the infrastructure associated with the field’s development that Phase 12 is one of three new segments of the field expected online during the Iranian calendar year, which began March 21. "Phase 12 is one of the important and big phases of the South Pars and its completion is important," he told the semi-official Fars News Agency. South Pars accounts for about 35 percent of the total volume of gas produced from Iran . In the past, […]

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he forth round of Iranian nuclear talks ended Friday in Vienna, making "no tangible progress," but the negotiation will continue in coming months, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator was quoted as saying. Abbas Araqchi, who is also Iranian deputy foreign minister, on Friday made the remarks after a 3-day meeting with five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the UK and the United States) and Germany in Vienna. Araqchi believes "drafting" could be started "when the positions are closer to each other," without providing further details of the talks. Before the talks, U.S. and Iranian officials said the talk could be "very difficult" as the significant gap between Tehran and west remains. Western states suspect Iran has been developing atomic weapon undercover of its civilian nuclear plan, while Iran dismisses the allegation, saying its nuclear program is solely peaceful and the […]

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he forth round of Iranian nuclear talks ended Friday in Vienna, making "no tangible progress," but the negotiation will continue in coming months, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator was quoted as saying. Abbas Araqchi, who is also Iranian deputy foreign minister, on Friday made the remarks after a 3-day meeting with five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the UK and the United States) and Germany in Vienna. Araqchi believes "drafting" could be started "when the positions are closer to each other," without providing further details of the talks. Before the talks, U.S. and Iranian officials said the talk could be "very difficult" as the significant gap between Tehran and west remains. Western states suspect Iran has been developing atomic weapon undercover of its civilian nuclear plan, while Iran dismisses the allegation, saying its nuclear program is solely peaceful and the […]

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Diplomats negotiating over Iran ’s atomic program ended the latest round of talks in Vienna without advancing their bid to reach a deal by July to impose nuclear curbs in exchange for a lifting of sanctions. The sides will meet twice next month in the Austrian capital to try to hammer out an accord, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. “There was no tangible progress in this round, but the trend of negotiations was good,” Araghchi said at a briefing broadcast by Press TV. “No drafting will be done until both sides have reached a mutual viewpoint.” A U.S. official, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public, said the latest talks were difficult and Iranian negotiators should be aware that more urgency will be needed to meet their July deadline. Diplomats at this week’s meeting were expected to begin drafting the text of a […]

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The latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers ended on Friday in Vienna, with Iranian and American officials saying that progress was slow and difficult, with serious gaps between the two sides on basic issues like the size of any nuclear enrichment capability Iran would be permitted to retain. A senior American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic negotiations, said that Iran needed to be more realistic in the talks. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told Iranian news media that “there was no tangible progress in this round of the talks” and that differences were too large to begin drafting an accord. But he said that the talks would continue next month. The American official agreed with Mr. Araghchi that “significant gaps” remained after three days of talks. “Iran still has to make some hard choices,” the official […]

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Iran and six world powers made little progress this week in talks on ending their dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, U.S. and Iranian officials said on Friday, raising doubts over the prospects for a breakthrough by a July 20 deadline. After three months of mostly comparing expectations rather than negotiating compromises, the sides had intended to start drafting a final agreement that could end more than a decade of enmity and mistrust and dispel fears of a wider Middle East war. "We believe there needs to be some additional realism," a senior U.S. official said on condition of anonymity, declining to provide details on what issues had caused the most difficulty. "Time is not unlimited here." "In any negotiation there are good days and bad days, there are ups and downs, this has been a moment of great difficulty but one that was not entirely unexpected," […]

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Iran and six world powers made little progress this week in talks on ending their dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program, U.S. and Iranian officials said on Friday, raising doubts over the prospects for a breakthrough by a July 20 deadline. After three months of mostly comparing expectations rather than negotiating compromises, the sides had intended to start drafting a final agreement that could end more than a decade of enmity and mistrust and dispel fears of a wider Middle East war. "We believe there needs to be some additional realism," a senior U.S. official said on condition of anonymity, declining to provide details on what issues had caused the most difficulty. "Time is not unlimited here." "In any negotiation there are good days and bad days, there are ups and downs, this has been a moment of great difficulty but one that was not entirely unexpected," […]

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Iran’s oil exports fell in March after reaching a 20-month peak two months earlier, a top energy watchdog said Thursday, potentially easing concerns Tehran that could breach a six-month cap agreed with the West. In its monthly market report, the International Energy Agency said that "estimated April import volumes [by foreign buyers of Iranian oil] were down by about 180,000 barrels a day to 1.11 million barrels a day." The export numbers, which include condensates, compared with 1.29 million barrels a day in March and a 20-month peak of 1.58 million barrels a day in February, it said. The IEA’s data confirmed statements by Iran’s deputy oil minister for international affairs Ali Majedi to the Wall Street Journal last week that crude exports–which exclude condensates–averaged 1.2 million barrels a day in the past three months. That suggested a reduction from February levels of 1.3 million barrels […]

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Iran is exporting 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, well above an export cap agreed with the international community last November, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said Thursday. Last week, Mr. Zanganeh told The Wall Street Journal that the country plans to continue to increase exports, despite agreeing to limit international oil sales to one million barrels a day as part of a broader interim deal with six world powers over its nuclear program. Speaking on the sidelines of a gathering of international energy ministers in Moscow, Mr. Zanganeh added that conditions in the oil market are good and no big changes are expected when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meets in Vienna next month. The oil producers’ cartel meets twice a year to discuss the oil market and determine its level of production. In recent years, its members have maintained […]

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As Iran and six world powers meet this week in Vienna to begin drafting language to resolve their nuclear standoff, negotiators say they are finally confronting a crucial sticking point to a permanent agreement — the size and shape of the nuclear fuel production capability that Iran will be permitted to retain. It is a subject that, at least in public, the Obama administration steps around, acutely aware that Israel and members of Congress who are highly suspicious of the negotiations will say that Iran must be kept years from being able to develop a weapon, and that opponents of the deal in Tehran will argue that no restraints at all should be imposed. Both the Iranians and the Western powers have said their talks so far have been productive, with little of the drama, the ultimatums and the entrenched positions that have marked previous efforts. But […]

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Several core elements of agreement between Iran and the West have emerged in recent weeks, heightening optimism that a comprehensive deal can be reached by the July 20 deadline, according to U.S., Iranian and European officials involved in the diplomacy. Still significant differences remain that could scuttle a deal or force negotiators to extend talks, officials said. "People are less pessimistic than they have been in the past—certainly," one European official said. "There are certain areas where some kind of consensus" is emerging. "But in certain areas, there is still a huge gulf." One of the key areas of agreement is the future of an Iranian plan to convert its heavy-water reactor in the city of Arak to produce significantly less weapons-grade plutonium, according to various officials. Iran also has begun to more substantively address evidence presented in parallel talks with the U.N’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy […]

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Iran’s Supreme Leader described as "stupid and idiotic" Western expectations for his country to curb its missile development, striking a defiant tone ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to mass produce missiles and said the nuclear negotiations were not the place to discuss Tehran’s defense program or to solve the problem of sanctions damaging the Iranian economy. "They expect us to limit our missile program while they constantly threaten Iran with military action," Khamenei was quoted as telling the IRNA news agency while on a visit to an aeronautics fair held by the Revolutionary Guards. "So this is a stupid, idiotic expectation … The revolutionary guards should definitely carry out their program and not be satisfied with the present level. They should mass produce. This is a main duty of all military officials." Iran and the […]

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