Iran nuke talks still gloomy

After their negotiations in Geneva on Oct 15 and 16, the teams from Iran and the P5+1 countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany - for the first time, issued a joint statement, in which they described the talks as "substantive and forward looking". There seems to have been a shift from the standoff that prevailed under former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and there is a sense of optimism building ahead of the new round of negotiations on Nov 7 and 8.

Since a new government took office in Iran in August, there have been positive signals that there might be progress as the new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has adopted a softer stance on the issue than his predecessor and has sought reconciliation with the West.

Rouhani addressed the UN General Assembly on Sept 24, saying Iran sought constructive engagement with other countries, he reiterated that Iran's nuclear program was for exclusively peaceful purposes. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also exchanged views with the foreign ministers of China, the US, the UK, France and Germany on Sept 26, and US President Barack Obama talked with Rouhani over the telephone about the Iranian nuclear issue on Sept 27, which is the first time leaders of the two countries have spoken directly since they severed diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago. As a result, both sides are now speaking optimistically about finding a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.