24-11-2024 11:29 PM Jerusalem Timing

Zarif: Trust Is Two-Way Street in Nuclear Talks

Zarif: Trust Is Two-Way Street in Nuclear Talks

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday just days ahead of a deadline for a nuclear deal that "trust is a two-way street" demanding good faith on all sides.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L), Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R)Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Sunday just days ahead of a deadline for a nuclear deal that "trust is a two-way street" demanding good faith on all sides.

"I won't engage in blame games or spin. Not my style. What I will engage in is a sincere effort to come to an agreement. I expect the same" from the world powers negotiating with Iran in Vienna," he added in a second tweet posted on his official Twitter account.

"We're able to make history by this time next Sunday. Trust is a two-way street. Concerns of all sides must be addressed to reach a deal," he posted.

Zarif's comments came several hours after US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Austria for the final round of the P5+1 negotiations, telling reporters that significant gaps remain in the talks.

"We need to see if we can make some progress ... it is vital to make certain that Iran is not going to develop a nuclear weapon," Kerry said.

Iran's chief negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state television on Saturday that Tehran was prepared to walk away from the talks if "excessive" Western demands cause the negotiations to fail.

An interim deal agreed in November between the P5+1 and Iran expires on July 20, though it could be extended at this week's talks to enable further negotiations.