Iran News Round Up

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by the AEI Critical Threats Project's Iran research team. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online. 

(E) = Article in English

Excerpts of these translations may only be used with the expressed consent of the authors

• According to Reuters a Western diplomat on condition of anonymity said Iran has shifted its stance on the number of operational centrifuges; “Iran has signaled it would settle for a lower figure, but declined to specify the number.” (E)

• The Islamic Republic of Iran and P5+1 member states began the sixth round of negotiations to reach a comprehensive nuclear deal based on the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA) agreement in Vienna. Western diplomats reported that while Iran is less insistent on its demand of 50 thousand operational centrifuges, Tehran has not yielded on positions regarding the nuclear program’s military dimensions.
  • On 3 JUL, IRI Foreign Ministry officials met with the British, French, and German delegations on, promptly followed by a bilateral meeting with the Russian delegation.
  • On 2 JUL, the Iranian delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Abbas Araghci and Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Mohammad Takht Ravanchi, met the U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, at the Coburg Hotel for three hours.
  • On 2 JUL, Iranian officials met with the Russian and Chinese delegations.

• Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the “complexity” of nuclear negotiations and said:
  • “It is very difficult to predict an outcome given the complexity of various subjects that need to be agreed upon in order to reach a comprehensive agreement.”
  • “We must not take media speculations especially in the West so seriously; because most of the analysis and reporting is their effort to affect the negotiations…we will make all efforts so the negotiations reach a result.”
  • Zarif also met with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.