WASHINGTON, November 25 (Sputnik) – The objectives of the United States and the P5+1 group of countries are contrary to those of Iran in the negotiations for an Iranian nuclear agreement, former CIA official Clare Lopez has said.
"Our objectives are fundamentally incompatible," Lopez said at a press briefing Monday. "I think as long as the talks go on, we're never going to reach a commonality of objectives."
The United States and P5+1 are committed to a guarantee that Iran cannot "break out" and develop a nuclear weapon within a one year time frame, Lopez stated, adding that Iran wants the ability to make a deliverable nuclear bomb as well as relief from Western sanctions.
Former adviser to President George W. Bush's State Department, Department of Defense and National Security Council Michael Ledeen said the United States had given too much to the Iranians in the negotiations.
"They [Iranians] have obtained virtually everything they want from us without giving us anything in return," Ledeen asserted.
The former Bush administration adviser said the fact that the United States has continued its negotiations with Iran for six years under US President Barack Obama is a sign of weakness, and "some kind of psychosis".
Iran came to the negotiating table in November 2013 because Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was convinced "that Obama would do anything Iran asked and they could get sanctions lifted without compromising the nuclear program," Ledeen stated.
The negotiations between Iran and P5+1 countries, comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France and Germany, wrapped up in Vienna on Monday without the parties reaching a deal on Iran's nuclear program. EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said that the parties allowed for further negotiations until June 30.
US Secretary of State John Kerry stated on Monday that the talks had yielded "real and substantial progress". He further characterized his counterpart in Iran, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as approaching the discussions "in good faith".
