South Asia Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Barbara Slavin writes for Al-Monitor on the Obama administration’s decision to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran:
The Obama administration is defending its decision to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran by noting major nonproliferation achievements under an interim deal and new steps to roll back Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium.
In a fact sheet released late on July 22, the State Department summed up the results of the last six months as well as marathon talks that concluded July 18 in Vienna — two days shy of a prior deadline to reach a long-term nuclear deal. The new deadline is Nov. 24.
“It is our assessment and that of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran has carried out the very significant commitments it made, and has taken steps to address the international community’s greatest concerns,” the statement said.