Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif
Good news on many fronts:
Iran has continued to meet its commitments under an interim nuclear agreement with six world powers, a confidential United Nations nuclear agency report seen by Reuters showed on Friday.
The monthly update by the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran was not enriching uranium above a fissile concentration of 5 percent. It also said Iran had not made "any further advances" in its activities at two enrichment facilities and a heavy water reactor under construction.
Under the November 2013 accord between Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Russia, China and Britain, the Islamic Republic halted its most sensitive nuclear activity and took other steps in exchange for some easing of economic sanctions.
Negotiations remain delicate, and as is usually the case with international diplomacy, the closer the sides get to a deal the more they will be focusing on the most delicate and controversial details. But even with another break coming, plans are for both sides to continue to talk, and as long as both sides are talking the potential for war is at least held in abeyance. The goal, of course, is a comprehensive agreement upon which can be built a lasting peace.
The Republicans are doing their best to scuttle any possible deal, but the international community and the American people both support the negotiations. Iran is doing its part to keep negotiations moving, by demonstrating good faith, and the White House is trying to do the same. The Republicans are continuing to try to undermine negotiations by demonstrating bad faith.