Iran will not compromise on nuclear rights: Zarif

Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Vienna on Wednesday that Iran is prepared to take solid steps to guarantee that its nuclear program is solely used for peaceful purposes.

The top nuclear negotiator added that Iran remains committed to end the “unnecessary crisis” over its peaceful nuclear program, adding, “To those who continue to believe that sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table, I can only say that pressure has been tried for the past 8 years, in fact for the past 35 years. It didn’t bring the Iranian people to kneel in submission. And it will not now nor in the future.”

Representatives from Iran and the six world powers – the US, the UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia – are currently in Austria’s Vienna to strike a comprehensive nuclear deal over Iran’s nuclear energy program.

The current round of talks, which Zarif has described as a unique opportunity to make history, is expected to last until July 20.

Iran and the six countries have been discussing ways to iron out their differences to achieve a final deal that would end the decade-old dispute over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

The two sides inked an interim accord in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2013. Under the deal, the six countries agreed to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period. The deal expires on July 20 but can be extended depending on the agreement of all parties involved.