(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Ministers and officials representing Iran and six major powers resumed negotiations here on Monday in a new bid to reach a viable settlement to the thorny Iranian nuclear file.
The meeting in this Swiss resort town grouped US Secretary of State John Kerry, his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, counterparts from major powers China, Britain, Russia, France and Germany.
The foreign ministers of Iran and P5+1 states have been racing against time, trying to reach a settlement on the complex file, forecast to be worked out by end of this month.
Analysts acquainted with the Iranian nuclear file concord that the negotiations between the two sides "have reached decisive stage," as Kerry and other participating ministers have cancelled trips to their countries, due today, fuelling strong speculations that tangible headways might have been reached in the efforts for a major deal.
Nevertheless, the analysts affirm that several topics in the lengthy and multi-chapter file have not been thrashed out yet - namely number of centrifuges Iran would be allowed to retain, mechanisms of supervising its nuclear program and required transparency to ensure that Tehran would not seek to make a nuclear bomb.
Contentious issues include whether Tehran is entitled to retain amounts of enriched uranium, steps and timetable for lifting multiple sanctions on Tehran. One idea on the table is relieving Tehran of the curbs in stages in 10 years' times.
Washington, mastermind of the talks on the western side is expected to face domestic criticisms, in case a final deal has been reached, namely from hawkish Republicans. Moreover, the US major ally, Israel, may seek some retaliation for the forecast accord, finding it hard to accept the world recognition of Iran as a regional power, according to some observers.
The observers believe the coalition military operation in Yemen also affects, though relatively, stances at the negotiating table in Lausanne.
Iran stresses that its nuclear program is of peaceful nature, however, most of the world powers fear that it has been developing its nuclear program with aim of making bombs.
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