Feb 26, 2015

Nuclear negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) will be completed by March 31, says Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, a spokesman for President Hassan Rouhani’s administration.

Nobakht, who's considered close to the president and arguably has a larger role within the administration than the first vice president, was asked by reporters about the significance of the presence of Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Hossein Fereydoon, brother and adviser to Rouhani, at the nuclear negotiations in Geneva between Iranian and American officials. “This time in the negotiations, from the viewpoint of time, we are bound to conclude the negotiations by March 31,” Nobakht said. “Of course, not just at the level of general agreements but also on the specifics we have to reach results.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham previously was criticized for suggesting that at the end of March there would be a political “understanding” rather than an “agreement.” It seems now, given Nobakht’s comments, there appears to be a push by the administration and negotiators to have a complete deal by the end of March.

The March 31 deadline is a sort of soft deadline that is part of the November 2014 interim deal agreement, and also the deadline that members of Congress have reportedly negotiated with President Barack Obama before moving forward with new Iran sanctions. As for the Iran side, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on the nuclear program, has specified that once an agreement is made, it not be made as a multistep deal but rather a complete deal with all the issues resolved.

Despite cautious statements by negotiators, some reformist Iranian media seem to believe significant steps were taken at the latest round of talks that may show a deal is close.