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NUKEWARS
No indications oil-for-goods deal on table with Iran and Russia, U.S. says
by Daniel J. Graeber
Washington (UPI) Jun 4, 2013


US welcomes 'good steps' by Iran on nuclear drive
Vienna (AFP) June 04, 2014 - The United States on Wednesday welcomed Iran's recent efforts to alleviate concerns about its nuclear programme, but urged it to increase the pace of cooperation.

A recent report by the UN atomic watchdog IAEA found Iran was sticking to its agreements with the agency and implementing all newly agreed measures, even addressing matters related to bomb-making for the first time in six years.

"You can't see steps taking place and say it's not sufficient, those are good steps," the US delegate to the IAEA, Ambassador Joseph Macmanus, told journalists Wednesday on the sidelines of an IAEA board of governors meeting.

"This is a long stairway to climb and each step is progress."

Addressing member states earlier, Macmanus however highlighted that Iran's engagement was "long overdue," according to a copy of his address.

"It is only a first step," he said of Iran's compliance with recent agreements, urging "accelerated progress" and "full cooperation" on other issues, including the scaling-down of uranium enrichment and sharing of information on weapons-related issues.

Western powers fear Iran may be seeking a nuclear bomb under the cover of its civilian programme, but Tehran insists its intentions are solely peaceful.

Talks between Iran and six world powers are aiming for a potentially historic nuclear deal by July 20 -- a deadline that commentators have increasingly said will not be reached.

Macmanus however insisted that the parties were sticking to their ambitious goal.

"That's what we're still focused on," he said.

The last so-called P5+1 rounds of talks in mid-May -- between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany on one side, and Iran on the other -- ended with no apparent progress on a deal.

A next round is planned for June 16-20 in Vienna.

There are no indications Iran has reached a deal to swap oil for goods with the Russian government, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said.

Iran in April said it was in serious negotiations with the Russian government to swap oil for goods. In a letter sent Monday, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said sanctions on Iran's energy sector should be able to interrupt the deal.

"It is very troubling that a potential agreement with Russia could allow Iran to increase its oil exports by nearly 500,000 additional barrels per day," his letter to Secretary of State John Kerry read.

Marie Harf, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, told reporters during her regular press briefing Tuesday, however, that no such arrangement was in place.

"We have no indications that reports of an oil-for-goods deal have moved forward with Russia," she said.

Iran can export around 1 million bpd under the terms of a November arrangement that brought some relief from economic sanctions in exchange for a commitment to curb nuclear research activity.

The State Department expressed similar concerns when Iran and Russia in April discussed upgrading Iran's power plants and electrical transmission lines. Both sides already work together in the nuclear sector, with Russia supplying fuel for Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility.

Russia is under pressure from a U.S. government frustrated with the Kremlin's reaction to Ukraine's move toward the European Union, while Iran is facing its own pressure from sanctions imposed for its controversial nuclear program.

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German FM says Iran nuclear talks 'encouraging'
Abu Dhabi (AFP) May 31, 2014
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Saturday that ongoing negotiations between world powers and Iran over its disputed nuclear programme have been "encouraging". His remarks in Abu Dhabi come ahead of a new round of talks in mid-June between Iran and the P5+1 powers of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany. "Regardless of the general situation ... read more


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