but also in a bomb, reducing its uranium stockpile and altering the Arak reactor.
In return, the powers have said they will progressively ease sanctions that have suffocated Iran’s economy, but while retaining the option to reimpose them if Iran violates the agreement.
But turning the 505-word joint statement agreed in April in Lausanne, Switzerland into a fully-fledged, highly technical document of several dozen pages has proved hard work.
“It sounds easy. but it’s difficult,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Sunday.
Key sticking points are thought to include the pace and timing of sanctions relief, the mechanism for their “snapback” and Iran’s future development of newer, faster centrifuges.
Another thorny topic is role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) watchdog, whose chief Yukiya Amano met Kerry on Monday and who has been spotted several times entering the luxury Viennese hotel where the talks are being held.
The UN watchdog already keeps close tabs on Iran’s nuclear activities, with between four and 10 inspectors in Iran on any given day, accounting for every ounce of nuclear material and keeping facilities under constant surveillance.
Under the mooted deal, it will be up to the IAEA to verify that Iran really does reduce its capacities, and also to make sure it does not cheat in the future.
Meanwhile, Global powers negotiating with Iran have put forward proposals to give the UN atomic watchdog access to all suspect Iranian sites as part of the outlines of a deal, a senior US official said on Monday.
“We have worked out a process that we believe will ensure that the IAEA has the access it needs,” the administration official told reporters.
“The entry point isn’t we must be able to get into every military site, because the United States of America wouldn’t allow anybody to get into every military site, so that’s not appropriate,” the official said.