Iran Ready for ‘Serious’ Nuclear Talks, Wants Deal in 3-6 Months

US Congressional Opposition Could Make Deal Difficult

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has followed up yesterday’s call for diplomacy at the UN General Assembly with further comments in support of talks, saying Iran is ready for “serious” talks on its civilian nuclear program.

Rohani went on to say that there should be a timeline for the negotiations instead of just holding open-ended talks, and said he believes that a deal should be made in three to six months, and the less time, the better.

That’s clearly a must for Rohani domestically, as he was elected on a campaign promising diplomacy and international rapprochement, and if that process is seen going nowhere it could quickly cost him political support.

At the same time, US officials, particularly in Congress, have taken the position of being “tough on Iran” for so long that it’s an end unto itself, and Congressional opposition to diplomacy on general principle is going to be a big obstacle to any deal.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.