US Secretary of State John Kerry testified before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday and frankly declared that he was “not expressing optimism” for the prospects of current negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 nuclear powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) over the Islamic Republic’s renegade nuclear program. The talks in Vienna are “on pace” to begin drafting a final deal next month according to sources in the diplomatic teams, with the 20 July deadline fast approaching. “A deal that would ultimately unravel the entire sanctions regime for a six-to-12-month lead time (needed to enrich uranium to weapons grade) is not far from where we are today,” Sen. Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) said to Kerry. “I think it’s public knowledge today that we’re operating with a time period for a so-called ‘break-out’ of about two months,” Kerry replied. “That’s been in the public domain.” Read More
