IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS

Pressure Increases as Deadline Closes In

by Emma Provencal

Iran is seeking the advancement of its nuclear program. The country wants to be able to sustain its growing population with peaceful nuclear energy. Western powers are skeptical about the truth of the Iranian claims and fear that the country will use nuclear power to produce weapons of mass destruction. Talks have been going on for over a decade without a resolution, but it seems as though things are about to change. A new wave of talks has been set up in March with the deadline for an agreement on political framing being set for the end of the month. A second deadline for a more detailed plan has been set for the 30th of June 2015 (NBC, Reuters).

The talks consist of six countries dubbed the P5+1 group: the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France, who are the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, and the addition of Germany. These powers want to ensure that Iran would be incapable of producing nuclear weapons by limiting the most sensitive projects in the nuclear program. The six will be the ones who meet with Iran to discuss the issues presented over the coming months (BBC, NBC).

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to the talks and warns that Iran’s nuclear power will be a threat to his country. Netanyahu goes on to say that “the agreement confirms all of our fears and even worse” (The Guardian) and that Iran is set on dominating the Middle East with the help of nuclear weapons (Reuters, CNN).

Only time will tell if the talks are successful and if Iran can peacefully use nuclear power.