Three days of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program ended with no resolution early Sunday. Still, Secretary of State John Kerry remains optimistic.
Appearing on Meet the Press, Kerry stressed that there was no rush and reitereated that pressure will remain on Iran.
“I think there was unity there with respect to getting it right,” Kerry said of the negotiations. “President Obama has been crystal clear [in saying] don’t rush. We’re not in a rush. We need to get the right deal. No deal is better than a bad deal. And we are certainly adhering to that concept.”
Talks are expected to resume on November 20.
And when those discussions resume, what will the United States’ bottom line demand be with Iran, Gregory asked?
“We haven’t arrived [at the terms]. It is not a partial deal,” Kerry responded. “It is a first step in an effort that will lock the program in where it is today and set it back while one negotiates the full deal. There will not be a relaxation of the pressure. Nobody has talked about getting rid of the current architecture of sanctions. The pressure will remain.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said Iran will not bow to “threats” and that the country has the right to enrich uranium.
Since taking office in August, Rouhani has vowed to run a more open presidency, famously writing in a much-discussed Washington Post column about a “constructive approach to diplomacy” while not “relinquishing one’s rights.”
Drew Katchen