US: Iran Must Prove Peaceful Nuclear Intentions | WPN World People News

As the July 20 deadline looms for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, the United States says Tehran has a clear choice when it comes to demonstrating its peaceful intentions. Delegates from Iran and the world's major powers are now gathering in Vienna for a sixth round of negotiations.

Even as the Iraqi conflict dominated headlines, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry did not overlook Iran's nuclear program as he met with Arab leaders in Europe last week.

The State Department warned that time is running out for Iran to prove it does not want a nuclear weapon.

"What we are asking for are reasonable, verifiable, and easily achievable measures. But we have not yet seen what choice the Iranians will make. This isn't one of capacity. It's one of will, and we will see what we can get done," said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf in Washington.

As members of the so-called P5+1 and Iran start another round of intensive negotiations, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said "good progress" on a nuclear deal has been made, with the United States providing limited sanctions relief after Iran took certain steps in the last six months.

"Iran [is] meeting its commitments to, again, get rid of its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium, not install new advanced centrifuges, provide for additional transparency," said Rhodes.

But, Rhodes said, Iran has not taken the necessary steps to assure world leaders of its peaceful nuclear intentions.

U.S. officials will not detail what gaps remain in negotiations, but Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the key sticking point is Iran's desire to keep several thousand centrifuges to provide fuel for a national civilian nuclear program.

"[Iran has] wanted to keep lots of pieces of the infrastructure, which we worry could help it make a nuclear weapon. So it may be that for Iran, we just need to show them that we are willing to walk away and that we are willing to step away from the table and impose more sanctions, if that's what it takes to get Iran to realize that it must make a choice," said Singh.

That choice by Iran will likely be made as the situation in its neighbor Iraq continues to deteriorate amid political turmoil and a Sunni militant group fighting to gain more territory.

U.S. officials raised the Iraqi conflict with Iran on the sidelines of last month's nuclear talks, but want to keep the issues separate. Singh said this is because the U.S. wants to avoid Iran using assistance in ending the turmoil in its neighbor as a bargaining chip.

"I think the view on the U.S. side is that Iran will try to use the Iraqi issue or other regional issues as leverage in the nuclear negotiations," explained Singh.

For the next three weeks, the focus will be on finalizing a nuclear deal. And while Iran has said it is open to extending negotiations, U.S. officials say they will not drag out talks unless there is a genuine willingness for all sides to come to an agreement.

Source: Voice of America