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| Nuclear Talks With Iran Hit a Snag as France Questions Deal | |
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| GENEVA — After several days of optimistic reports that negotiations with Iran were on track to produce the first agreement in a decade to freeze its nuclear program, the talks hit a snag on Saturday with a French objection that the proposed deal did not do enough to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. | GENEVA — After several days of optimistic reports that negotiations with Iran were on track to produce the first agreement in a decade to freeze its nuclear program, the talks hit a snag on Saturday with a French objection that the proposed deal did not do enough to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. |
| Even as American diplomats made a final push for an agreement late Saturday, the marathon talks laid bare the challenge of drafting a deal that would satisfy both the Iranians and a group of major powers with their own interests and agendas. | Even as American diplomats made a final push for an agreement late Saturday, the marathon talks laid bare the challenge of drafting a deal that would satisfy both the Iranians and a group of major powers with their own interests and agendas. |
| Secretary of State John Kerry huddled for hours with Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, as the United States struggled to close gaps on issues like curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment program and a nuclear reactor, under construction, that will produce plutonium. | Secretary of State John Kerry huddled for hours with Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammed Javad Zarif, as the United States struggled to close gaps on issues like curbing Iran’s uranium enrichment program and a nuclear reactor, under construction, that will produce plutonium. |
| Signs of division first emerged when the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said a draft of a potential deal was unacceptable to France and there was no certainty that this round of negotiations would lead to an agreement. “We are hoping for a deal, but for the moment there are still issues that have not been resolved,” he told France Inter radio. | Signs of division first emerged when the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said a draft of a potential deal was unacceptable to France and there was no certainty that this round of negotiations would lead to an agreement. “We are hoping for a deal, but for the moment there are still issues that have not been resolved,” he told France Inter radio. |
| His comments came amid a whirl of diplomatic activity, with Mr. Kerry and foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China engaged in round-robin meetings with Mr. Zarif and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who is overseeing the talks. Mr. Kerry also met with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. | His comments came amid a whirl of diplomatic activity, with Mr. Kerry and foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China engaged in round-robin meetings with Mr. Zarif and the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who is overseeing the talks. Mr. Kerry also met with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. |
| Mr. Zarif insisted there had been progress, though he conceded that the diplomats might leave this round empty-handed. “That won’t be a disaster,” he said in an interview with the BBC, “because we have started an important process and, provided that we can continue this process and try to reach positive results, I think we’ve done extremely important work.” | Mr. Zarif insisted there had been progress, though he conceded that the diplomats might leave this round empty-handed. “That won’t be a disaster,” he said in an interview with the BBC, “because we have started an important process and, provided that we can continue this process and try to reach positive results, I think we’ve done extremely important work.” |
| Hopes that a deal was at hand surged when Mr. Kerry cut short a trip to the Middle East to fly to Geneva on Friday. But he, too, sought to temper expectations, saying after he arrived that an agreement had not yet been reached and that gaps needed to be narrowed. On Saturday, Mr. Kerry made no further comment before a two-hour meeting with Mr. Zarif. | Hopes that a deal was at hand surged when Mr. Kerry cut short a trip to the Middle East to fly to Geneva on Friday. But he, too, sought to temper expectations, saying after he arrived that an agreement had not yet been reached and that gaps needed to be narrowed. On Saturday, Mr. Kerry made no further comment before a two-hour meeting with Mr. Zarif. |
| While talks continued on Saturday afternoon, it increasingly appeared that the negotiators would be unable to overcome gaps in this round, and officials said they hoped to return in coming weeks to try again. | While talks continued on Saturday afternoon, it increasingly appeared that the negotiators would be unable to overcome gaps in this round, and officials said they hoped to return in coming weeks to try again. |
| American officials said they sensed an opportunity to wrap up an interim accord that would freeze Iran’s program for perhaps six months so there would be time for both sides to reach a more lasting agreement. But they also said the United States was ready to meet again in a couple of weeks should the remaining differences prove hard to overcome. | American officials said they sensed an opportunity to wrap up an interim accord that would freeze Iran’s program for perhaps six months so there would be time for both sides to reach a more lasting agreement. But they also said the United States was ready to meet again in a couple of weeks should the remaining differences prove hard to overcome. |
| “It’s important that Iran knows we’ll walk away if our concerns aren’t met,” a senior administration official said, “but we do have substantive outlines set well enough that it’s worth trying to narrow gaps.” | “It’s important that Iran knows we’ll walk away if our concerns aren’t met,” a senior administration official said, “but we do have substantive outlines set well enough that it’s worth trying to narrow gaps.” |
| France has taken a harder line than the United States in recent years on curbing Iran’s capacity to produce nuclear fuel that could be used in weapons. Diplomats said the French were particularly concerned about the heavy-water reactor being built near Arak, because it would produce plutonium, an alternative to uranium for fueling a weapon. | France has taken a harder line than the United States in recent years on curbing Iran’s capacity to produce nuclear fuel that could be used in weapons. Diplomats said the French were particularly concerned about the heavy-water reactor being built near Arak, because it would produce plutonium, an alternative to uranium for fueling a weapon. |
| Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the plant could be dealt with in a future phase of the talks because it would take a year for it to be completed and much more time for it produce plutonium that could be extracted for a bomb. | Daryl Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the plant could be dealt with in a future phase of the talks because it would take a year for it to be completed and much more time for it produce plutonium that could be extracted for a bomb. |
| But Mr. Kerry said during his visit to Israel last week that the United States was asking Iran, as part of an interim accord, to agree to a “complete freeze over where they are today,” implying that Iran’s plutonium production program would be affected in some way as well. Under a compromise favored by some American officials, Iran might agree to refrain from operating the facility for six months, while continuing to work on the installation. | But Mr. Kerry said during his visit to Israel last week that the United States was asking Iran, as part of an interim accord, to agree to a “complete freeze over where they are today,” implying that Iran’s plutonium production program would be affected in some way as well. Under a compromise favored by some American officials, Iran might agree to refrain from operating the facility for six months, while continuing to work on the installation. |
| Once the reactor at Arak is operational, as early as next year, it might be very hard to disable it through a military strike without risking the dispersal of nuclear material. That risk might eliminate one of the West’s options for responding to Iran and reduce its leverage in the talks. | Once the reactor at Arak is operational, as early as next year, it might be very hard to disable it through a military strike without risking the dispersal of nuclear material. That risk might eliminate one of the West’s options for responding to Iran and reduce its leverage in the talks. |
| The heavy-water reactor at Arak has been a contentious negotiating point because it would give Iran another pathway to a bomb, using plutonium, rather than enriched uranium. Moreover, the Iranian explanations for why it is building Arak have left most Western nations and nuclear experts skeptical. The country has no need for the fuel for civilian uses right now, and the reactor’s design renders it highly efficient for producing the makings of a nuclear weapon. | The heavy-water reactor at Arak has been a contentious negotiating point because it would give Iran another pathway to a bomb, using plutonium, rather than enriched uranium. Moreover, the Iranian explanations for why it is building Arak have left most Western nations and nuclear experts skeptical. The country has no need for the fuel for civilian uses right now, and the reactor’s design renders it highly efficient for producing the makings of a nuclear weapon. |
| Israel has been vocal about not letting the new reactor get to the point where the fuel is inserted, after which military action against the reactor could create an environmental disaster. Israel has destroyed two reactors from the air in the past three decades, in Iraq in 1981 and in Syria in 2007. Both attacks took place before fuel had been put in the reactors. | Israel has been vocal about not letting the new reactor get to the point where the fuel is inserted, after which military action against the reactor could create an environmental disaster. Israel has destroyed two reactors from the air in the past three decades, in Iraq in 1981 and in Syria in 2007. Both attacks took place before fuel had been put in the reactors. |
| French officials also noted a difference between the United States and Europe on the issue of sanctions relief, which Iran is seeking in return for a halt in nuclear activities. The most sweeping American sanctions on Iran’s oil and banking industries were passed by Congress, giving President Obama little flexibility to lift them. | French officials also noted a difference between the United States and Europe on the issue of sanctions relief, which Iran is seeking in return for a halt in nuclear activities. The most sweeping American sanctions on Iran’s oil and banking industries were passed by Congress, giving President Obama little flexibility to lift them. |
| That has led the Obama administration to focus on a narrower set of proposals involving Iranian cash that is frozen in overseas banks. Freeing that cash in installments, in return for specific steps by Tehran, would not require the repeal of any congressional sanctions. | That has led the Obama administration to focus on a narrower set of proposals involving Iranian cash that is frozen in overseas banks. Freeing that cash in installments, in return for specific steps by Tehran, would not require the repeal of any congressional sanctions. |
| France and other European Union countries, however, face fewer political restrictions on ending their core sanctions, which means any decision to lift them could be more far-reaching. In addition, officials said that the measures would be harder to reinstate should the talks unravel or Iran renege on its pledges. | France and other European Union countries, however, face fewer political restrictions on ending their core sanctions, which means any decision to lift them could be more far-reaching. In addition, officials said that the measures would be harder to reinstate should the talks unravel or Iran renege on its pledges. |
| Those factors left the Europeans more hesitant to consider easing sanctions than the United States was. | Those factors left the Europeans more hesitant to consider easing sanctions than the United States was. |
| Still, European officials appeared to be balancing their wariness of Iran with a hopeful sense that these negotiations were fundamentally different from the fruitless sessions that the six powers held with Tehran during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. | Still, European officials appeared to be balancing their wariness of Iran with a hopeful sense that these negotiations were fundamentally different from the fruitless sessions that the six powers held with Tehran during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. |
| “All of the ministers who are here are conscious of that fact that some momentum has built up in these negotiations,” Britain’s foreign secretary, William Hague, told reporters on Saturday. “There is now a real concentration on these negotiations, so we have to do everything we can to seize the moment and seize the opportunity to reach a deal.” | “All of the ministers who are here are conscious of that fact that some momentum has built up in these negotiations,” Britain’s foreign secretary, William Hague, told reporters on Saturday. “There is now a real concentration on these negotiations, so we have to do everything we can to seize the moment and seize the opportunity to reach a deal.” |
| But that momentum has spooked other American allies, notably Israel, which continued Saturday to inveigh against an interim deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded that Iran shutter the Arak nuclear reactor and give up all enrichment of uranium, not just the 20 percent enrichment that is at issue in the current negotiations. | But that momentum has spooked other American allies, notably Israel, which continued Saturday to inveigh against an interim deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded that Iran shutter the Arak nuclear reactor and give up all enrichment of uranium, not just the 20 percent enrichment that is at issue in the current negotiations. |
| On Saturday, Israel’s minister of strategic affairs, Yuval Steinitz, alluded to Scripture, saying, “In return for a mess of pottage, Iran has achieved gains on both the sanctions and the nuclear fronts.” | On Saturday, Israel’s minister of strategic affairs, Yuval Steinitz, alluded to Scripture, saying, “In return for a mess of pottage, Iran has achieved gains on both the sanctions and the nuclear fronts.” |
| Mr. Netanyahu earlier said the agreement could be a “deal of the century” for Iran. On Friday, Mr. Obama called Mr. Netanyahu to brief him on the talks and to assure him that the United States was still committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. | Mr. Netanyahu earlier said the agreement could be a “deal of the century” for Iran. On Friday, Mr. Obama called Mr. Netanyahu to brief him on the talks and to assure him that the United States was still committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb. |
Jodi Rudoren contributed reporting from Jerusalem, and David E. Sanger from Denver. | Jodi Rudoren contributed reporting from Jerusalem, and David E. Sanger from Denver. |