The nuclear talks between the P5+1 and Iran on a final nuclear settlement began today in Vienna, and despite officials on both sides letting out a flurry of pessimistic statements yesterday everyone says the atmosphere today was quite positive.
EU officials say the first day of talks included “detained discussions” and were very productive, and that substantive issues surrounding a final settlement were raised.
Even more promising, the US and Iran met on the sidelines at the talks for an 80-minute discussion. The talks are expected to continue tomorrow and may run into Thursday.
The complexities of the issue mean that a final deal is likely to take months to get into place even under the best of conditions, but the news out of Vienna today suggests they are heading in the right direction.