The negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities between Iran and its Western interlocutors – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany – on Iran’s nuclear activities are under way in New York again with no one optimistic about the immediate outcome.
Iran’s Nuclear Program
Iran’s uranium enrichment plant: central to negotiations over Iran’s nuclear power
Enriching uranium is the most difficult part of building a nuclear bomb. If you can get hold of 15 pounds of highly-enriched uranium, which is a lump about the size of a grapefruit, and have a reasonably sophisticated engineering industry, you can build a nuclear bomb.
Iran: beyond the concessions and expectations
What will it take for negotiating parties to reach a lasting deal over Iran's nuclear programme–and what does it mean for the non-proliferation regime?
The prospect of success with Iran
This week, Iran and the P5+1/E3+3 group of world powers are under pressure to produce a comprehensive agreement around the former’s nuclear program by a deadline of Sunday, July 20th, or otherwise agree to extend their existing interim arrangement. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry were holding direct discussions after several foreign ministers from the P5+1 gathered in Vienna this past weekend to assess progress toward a long-term deal that would provide reassurance that Iran’s program will not be used for producing nuclear weapons.
Iran Nuclear Talks Hit Critical Juncture With Kerry to Join
This article by Jonathan Tirone at Bloomberg about the critical juncture of the Iran talks in July 2014 cites BASIC's executive director Paul Ingram as saying: “There remains deep skepticism on both sides and influential forces aligning against a deal…Complete failure is highly unattractive but a comprehensive solution will also be elusive.”
Iran Nuclear Talks Hit Critical Juncture With Kerry to Join
This article by Jonathan Tirone at Bloomberg about the critical juncture of the Iran talks in July 2014 cites BASIC's executive director Paul Ingram as saying: “There remains deep skepticism on both sides and influential forces aligning against a deal…Complete failure is highly unattractive but a comprehensive solution will also be elusive.”
Personal political interests and the Iranian nuclear negotiations
Iran and the E3+3 will be returning to the negotiating table on April 8th to begin yet another round of high level talks on the status and future of the Iranian nuclear program. As ever, there are various causes for caution, and perhaps even concern, as the Iranians and their American and European counterparts continue to disagree on central issues such as the fate of the Arak heavy water reactor and permitted levels of nuclear enrichment.
Iran: Perceptions and Politics
When I put out the feelers for potential companions for a trip to Iran not long ago, I was struck by the incredulity with which people regarded my plans. There seemed to be a widespread notion that embarking upon such a trip equated to, at best, terrible taste in holiday destinations and at worst, an ill-disguised death wish.