Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Tehran claims that its nuclear activities are entirelypeaceful, and that international concern about it seeking a nuclear bomb is misplaced.
Iran and the P5+1 group -- Britain, China, France, Russia,
the United States plus Germany -- have been engaged for nearly two years in
negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear drive. The deal is aimed at preventing Iran
from developing the atomic bomb in exchange for an easing of crippling economic
sanctions.
The two sides signed a framework agreement on April 2 and
began meeting in Vienna on Wednesday to start finalizing a deal which is due by
June 30.
However, differences have emerged over the interpretation of
the protocol and the issue is far from resolved. The Iranian supreme leader,
Ali Khamenei, who has the final word for Iran on the nuclear negotiations,
insisted publicly that the sanctions must cease on the day a final agreement is
signed, while Americans have said the sanctions would be lifted in stages
afterward, to ensure that Iran keeps its promises.
Khamenei also threw a new complication into the talks on May
20 when he rejected what he called arrogant demands for access to all Iranian
nuclear sites.
Khamenei told military commanders in Tehran, “The impudent
and brazen enemy expects that we allow them talk to our scientists and
researchers about a fundamental local achievement, but no such permission will
be allowed.” His remarks broadcasted on state television were basically meant
for public consumption, and maybe he has privately signaled more flexibility
over the inspection issue.
Mr. Fabius clearly rejected the Khamenei’s public assertion,
saying on Wednesday that France would reject a deal “if it is not clear that
inspections can be done at all Iranian installations, including military
sites.”
Amano, head of IAEA, also said that once there is a deal,
'several months will be needed' to investigate whether there were any military
dimensions to Iran’s research. If Iran signs a nuclear deal with world powers
it will have to accept inspections of its military sites, Amano told AFP in an
interview.
As the talks reconvened, Khamenei seemed to be dealing with
conflict at home over the nuclear negotiations. Khamenei praised the work of
the negotiators, led by Foreign Minister Zarif, and told lawmakers Mr. Zarif’s
team is “making genuine efforts to settle the issues” in the talks. Khamenei’s
remarks came a few days after a secretly made cellphone video viewed on the
Internet depicting a hostile exchange in Parliament between Zarif and a
conservative lawmaker, Kouchakzadeh, who accused Zarif of treason for making
concessions in the nuclear talks.
The negotiators have also signaled possibility of June 30
deadline extension as France’s ambassador to the United States, said on
Tuesday, that he thought that there would not be any agreement before the end
of June or even after June.” Iranian negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, said on
Wednesday that talks would continue until the deadline and could continue
beyond that. Soon after, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said at a news
briefing, "We're not contemplating any extension beyond June 30."
The history of making concessions of Obama and the West in
nuclear talks to Iranian regime, make us to be deeply pessimistic about the
outcome of possible nuclear deal. Iran has continuously fool around the West by
extending to achieve final nuclear deal from a deadline to another. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
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