Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced in his weekly television address that he had ordered his negotiating team to return to the Vienna talks within a week and that a round of bilateral meetings was planned for Wednesday.
Tensions have risen significantly in the talks between Iran and the six world powers, and the resumption of the negotiations will be seen as a sign that Mr. Rouhani’s government is willing to be flexible in negotiations. In his speech, Mr. Rouhani also strongly reiterated his government’s continued support for the nuclear talks.
But Secretary of State Mike Pompeo immediately struck back in a speech at the Munich Security Conference, saying Iran had broken the spirit of previous agreements, and that Washington still considered the effort to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons a priority.
The Secretary of State outlined what he described as a framework for diplomacy on Iran that had emerged, including the threat of an enhanced U.S. military presence in the Gulf of Oman. He also said Washington was prepared to continue to sanction Iran’s oil sales and the provision of financial services, if Iran does not agree to dismantle its nuclear program.
Read the full story at The Washington Post.
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