Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded an announcement to extend negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme until 30 June 2015, after Foreign Ministers from the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran failed to reach an agreement before the deadline set for 24 November in Vienna talks.
Some reports suggested that on Sunday a text was poised to be drafted. However, it became apparent that the two sides would remain unable to broker a deal, with differences remaining on key issues such as Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity. As a result, it was agreed that talks will continue for the coming seven months, during which time the terms agreed under the interim Joint Plan of Action last year will remain in place. They impose restrictions on aspects of Iran’s nuclear development while providing Tehran with limited sanctions relief.
Speaking after talks ended in the Austrian capital, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran had “earned the benefit of the doubt” as talks during the past few days had “made real and substantial progress and we have seen new ideas surface."
He added that, “this is not the time to get up and walk away.”
Several reports suggest that the recently-elected Republican controlled US Congress could complicate prospects of a breakthrough. Although it is unclear exactly how the talks will now proceed, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Monday : “There will be further meetings in December and our clear target is to reach a headline agreement, an agreement on substance in the next three months or so.”
Israel’s Prime Minister welcomed yesterday’s announcement, saying “no agreement is preferable to a bad agreement,” explaining that the deal favoured by Iran would have been “very bad and dangerous” for Israel and indeed the world.
However, he further commented, “a struggle is yet before us… to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold state.”
Speaking to the BBC, Netanyahu urged the international community “to continue the economic pressure that has proven the only thing that has brought Iran to the table.”