News Manager
Milforums News Bot
By Parisa Hafezi and Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran said it hopes enough progress will be made at talks with major powers this week to enable negotiators to start drafting by mid-May a final accord to settle a long-running dispute over its nuclear program. The Islamic Republic and six world powers will hold a new round of talks in Vienna on Tuesday and Wednesday intended to reach a comprehensive agreement by July 20 on how to resolve a decade-old standoff that has stirred fears of a Middle East war. "We will finish all discussions and issues this time to pave the ground for starting to draft the final draft in Ordibehesht (an Iranian month that begins in two weeks)," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said upon arrival in the Austrian capital. A U.S. official gave a similar timetable last week, voicing hope that the drafting of an agreement could begin in May. Iran says its enrichment program is a peaceful bid to generate electricity and has ruled out shutting any of its nuclear facilities.More...