EU: Significant steps towards Iran nuclear deal

The European Union’s foreign policy chief yesterday said significant steps had been made in nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 countries, the Anadolu Agency reported.

“[In] the talks of this last round, including the one of today, [there] were encouraging signs,” Federica Mogherini told reporters in the Swiss capital Geneva. “I would like to make an appeal, a plea to all public actors to facilitate rather than put in danger diplomatic efforts that have been extremely difficult.”

Mogherini warned against “spreading fears” about a nuclear deal, saying: “Spreading fears is not helpful at this stage… we are getting closer” to a comprehensive accord.

The EU official said that US Secretary of State John Kerry’s meeting with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif “went well and was positive”.

Mogherini said she had a phone conversation with Kerry and will make a similar call to the Iranian minister.