Talks on Iran's nuclear program resume

A new round of formal negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program commenced today in Vienna, Austria, between Iran and six of the world's major powers which include Russia, China, Germany, France, the UK and the US.

The race to meet the June 20 deadline for a comprehensive agreement rises many doubts as to whether it can be achieved because, so far, the progress made from last year's interim accord is unsatisfactory.

However, Iran's president is confident the deadline can be reached as the international powers pressure him to cut down on the nuclear program in exchange for loosening economic sanctions imposed on Iran.

'We have differences in the negotiations, over the details, and some of these disagreements are fundamental. Iran will continue (uranium) enrichment. There is no argument about that. No one should even contemplate the idea that enrichment in Iran can be stopped. That issue is done and dusted,' President Hassan Rohani said.

The US, however, is not so certain that an agreement with Tehran can be reached so easily as it suspects Iran breeched the interim accord and exported more oil than it was supposed to. Moreover, the uranium enrichment is also a point of divergence that must be settled.

'They believe they should maintain some degree of enrichment, the sticking point here, the central sticking point. But I think there is a good deal of pressure on the Iranians here to reach an agreement because the economy is taking a real beating, the sanctions have worked,' stated Sandy Berger, former National Security Advisor.