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Kerry sends ultimatum to Iran over nuclear agreement

Posted July. 07, 2015 07:09,   

한국어

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday sent an ultimatum to Iran, as the two countries failed to narrow differences on key issues with just two days left before the deadline for an Iranian nuclear agreement.

Kerry, who was in Vienna, Austria for last-minute negotiations with Iran, told reporters that an agreement is possible if Iran makes the "hard choices" necessary, but if not, the United States remains ready to walk away from the negotiations.

Kerry said the two sides had made "genuine progress" in talks over the last few days but "several of the most difficult issues" remain. "This negotiation could go either way," he said, urging Tehran to make a concession.

The New York Times interpreted Kerry`s remarks as a caution against Iran against last-minute brinkmanship ahead of a final agreement on key issues including inspections of Iran`s nuclear facilities and military installations suspected of past nuclear development, the timing of the lifting of economic sanctions and the scope of Tehran`s peaceful nuclear development.

"There are plenty of people in the nonproliferation community, nuclear experts, who will look at this," the top U.S. diplomat added. "None of us are going to be content to do something that can’t pass scrutiny."

In an open letter last month, a group of nuclear experts, including some of President Obama`s former advisers, urged the U.S. government to conclude an agreement with strong provisions on verification and effective constraints on Iran`s nuclear program.



kyle@donga.com