“Reaching an agreement with most members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) was likely, but anyway there was a need for the companionship of all of them and as you have heard from the public remarks of the ministers, one of the delegations (the French) created some problems,” Zarif wrote in his Facebook page before leaving Geneva for Tehran Sunday morning.
“Anyway, the decision was made to hold another meeting to settle the remaining problems on November 20 so that the delegations can continue the negotiations,” he added.
When after a day of progressive negotiations, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who presides over the delegations of the six world powers in the talks with Iran, called on US Secretary of State John Kerry to rush to Geneva to go a few more miles because a deal was possible, Israeli premier started hues and cries to stop the deal.
On Friday, Netanyahu “utterly” denounced the possible agreement in the course of the nuclear talks as “very, very bad”.
Kerry rushed to Tel Aviv to soothe Benjamin Netanyahu's concerns, but he apparently failed. The debates between the two grew so unfriendly that Kerry even excused himself from taking photos with Netanyahu, saying he has a tight schedule and should rush to Geneva.
Then Netanyahu made more ballyhoos making US President Barack Obama contact him to alleviate his concerns.
Unsatisfied with Obama's explanations, the Israeli prime minister called the French asking them to go to Geneva to stop the agreement.
Then, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who was not invited to the Geneva talks, called Ashton urging that he needs to be present there. Surprised Ashton was then forced to call in Fabius's British and German counterparts to the talks as well.
Fabius appeared on several media and warned that Israel’s “concerns” must be taken into consideration.
“It is necessary to take fully into account Israel’s security concerns and those of the region,” Fabius told France Inter radio in Geneva early on Saturday at the beginning of the third day of talks between Iran and the world powers.
Analysts believe that Israel, the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle-East with 200-400 warheads, fears a rapprochement between Iran and the US, its main alley.
