The recent hopes of a possible political détente between the U.S. and Iran culminated in what some media outlets and observers are describing as a “breakthrough” meeting between the top diplomats from each country in New York City on Thursday night.
Following a multi-lateral discussion attended by representative from seven interested nations, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a closed-door session designed to lay the groundwork for future talks surrounding the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.
The Iranians have repeated time and again that their nuclear program is designed solely for scientific and domestic energy production, but the U.S. continues to state, though it offers no conclusive evidence, that Iran maintains nuclear weapon aspiration.
According to foreign policy expert Phyllis Bennis, who wrote about U.S./Iran relations in the aftermath of speeches by President Obama and his counterpart Hossan Rouhani at the U.N. this week, if real progress is to be made in the diplomatic region, “more flexibility will be required than the United States is usually known for.”
However, reports that followed the meeting showed both Kerry and Zarif regarding the progress made as a promising and necessary step.
From The Guardian:
And McClatchy adds:
According to Bennis, “It’s been too long coming, it’s still too hesitant, there’s still too much hinting about military force behind it… but we’re talking. Foreign minister to foreign minister, Kerry to Zarif, it’s all a good sign.”
__________________________________________________________