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Iran's nuclear program

Iran Six negotiators propose unrealistic variants on sanctions issue — source

According to the diplomat, the issue of sanctions remains to be the key problem "dragging out the process"

LAUSANNE, March 30. /TASS/. Issues concerning sanctions against Iran are still unresolved and remain the obstacle in the way to an agreement at the talks between Tehran and P5+1 negotiators on the Iranian nuclear program, a diplomatic source in Iran’s delegation told TASS.

"Some members of the Iran Six propose absolutely unrealistic variants, which are unacceptable to us," the source said. "We are trying to bring our positions closer on this aspect."

According to the diplomat, the issue of sanctions remains to be the key problem "dragging out the process."

"The Iranian side is expecting a constructive approach on behalf of all members of Iran Six [group] instead of only a part of them," he added.

The P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France plus Germany) and Tehran agreed earlier in the year to extend the deadline for an agreement in the talks on Iran’s nuclear program to June 30.

The previous round of the Iranian nuclear talks in Lausanne was held during six days - between March 15 and March 20 - with daily consultations between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Both the representatives of Washington and Tehran have repeatedly said that the negotiations in Lausanne were successful. Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said the sides had agreed on 90% of technical issues.

The US presidential administration said however the negotiations had less than a 50% chance of success.

The issue of lifting sanctions against Iran is one of the key stumbling blocks at the negotiations. Tehran demands their full and immediate lifting while Washington first wants to get firm guarantees that the Iranian nuclear program has absolutely peaceful purposes and this should be confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts.

Iran says it needs nuclear power to generate electricity, but Western powers led by the United States claim Iran’s eventual aim is to create nuclear weapons.

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Iran's nuclear program issue

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