Iran-US Direct Talks A Must For Nuclear-Deal

By Web Desk — A senior US official has urged Iran to agree to direct talks to help forge a deal on the latter’s nuclear programme as time was running out for it.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that Iran’s nuclear program was nearing “breakout” toward nuclear weapons capability, leaving just “weeks” to reach a deal that would put the program on hold and ease sanctions on Tehran.

“I think we’re at the point where some of the most critical political decisions have to be made by all sides” in the talks to revive the 2015 deal involving Iran, the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, the official said.

“If our goal is to reach an understanding quickly, the optimal way to do that, in any negotiation, is for the parties that have the most at stake to meet directly,” the official said, referring to the United States and Iran.

The official claimed that Iran’s enrichment program was very close to producing enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.

According to the official it would be “deeply unfortunate” if the two sides did not have direct talks, “given how little time is left, given how critical, the decisions that need to be made are.”