海角大神

The new cooperative tone set by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations this week delivered its first concrete result Thursday as world powers and Iran agreed to hold what all sides predicted would be 鈥渟ubstantive鈥� and 鈥渁mbitious鈥� talks on Iran鈥檚 nuclear program.

Underscoring the breadth of the new climate, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif held a brief yet historic bilateral meeting on the margins of the nuclear discussions between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council 鈥� the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom 鈥� plus Germany.

Both Mr. Kerry and Mr. Zarif subsequently spoke of meeting with the other almost as if it were a typical diplomatic session, but in fact it was anything but: The conversation in the UN Security Council chambers was the first of any length and depth between the two antagonistic countries鈥� top diplomats since before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

鈥淲e鈥檝e agreed to try to continue the process,鈥� Kerry said of his 鈥渟ide meeting鈥� with Zarif. He described the Iranian minister鈥檚 presentation to the so-called P5+1 powers as "very different in tone and very different in the vision that he held out with respect to possibilities of the future."

A smiling Zarif made quick mention of his 鈥渟hort bilateral鈥� meeting with Kerry. Eschewing the more typical combative and accusatory tone of Iran鈥檚 diplomatic language over past decades 鈥� particularly in reference to the US 鈥� Zarif said, 鈥淣ow we [all] have to see if we can match our positive words with serious deeds.鈥�

The six countries agreed to meet in Geneva on Oct. 15-16 for what would be the first talks on Iran鈥檚 nuclear program since April. Those meetings, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, ended without Iran even responding to negotiation starting points proposed by the European Union鈥檚 chief diplomat, Catherine Ashton.

Lady Ashton, who chaired Thursday鈥檚 meeting, echoed other officials in describing a totally different atmosphere in the discussions with Zarif. 鈥淭o have the Iranian minister openly talk was a positive change in itself,鈥� she said.

Ashton said the discussion included talk of an 鈥渁mbitious timeframe鈥� for moving from negotiations to agreement to 鈥渋mplementation on the ground.鈥� She added that she has discussed a number of 鈥渢imeframes鈥� with President Rouhani when she met with him Thursday morning, and they were 鈥渁ll of an ambitious nature.鈥�

Iran is anxious to see a lifting of the onerous international sanctions the Security Council has imposed over the country鈥檚 expanding nuclear program, which Western powers believe is aimed at building a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear activities are limited to peaceful purposes.

Zarif has spoken of achieving an accord within six months, and most recently has floated the idea of a incremental accord under which Iran鈥檚 phased-in steps to meet international concerns would be matched by a progressive lifting of economic sanctions. 聽

The switch in Iran鈥檚 tone to one of optimism as to diplomatic possibilities has been on display all week in President Rouhani鈥檚 speeches and interviews in New York. 鈥淚f there is political will on the other side, which we think there is, we are ready to talk,鈥� he said Wednesday. 鈥淲e believe the nuclear issue will be solved by negotiation.鈥�

Years of fruitless talks and false starts between Iran and the world powers have gone nowhere as Iran has increased its uranium enrichment and built new nuclear facilities 鈥� in some cases deep underground, to survive any future military strikes. That has left some international leaders deeply suspicious of Iran鈥檚 new tone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who describes Rouhani as a 鈥渨olf in sheep鈥檚 clothing,鈥� is expected to warn the international community against compromise with Iran when he speaks to the UN General Assembly next week.

But many diplomats and nuclear nonproliferation experts say that the elements of a strict and verifiable accord with Iran are largely established 鈥� and that the outlines of what each side is expected to bring to the table in Geneva next month are already known.

鈥淭he devil is going to be in the details, but it鈥檚 doable and it鈥檚 necessary,鈥� says Daryl Kimball, president of the Arms Control Association in Washington. Both sides, he says, will have to 鈥渁djust previous positions and find a way to get to yes.鈥�

The P5+1 side is likely to present an opening proposal that is similar to what it presented in the spring talks, Mr. Kimball says. Iran will be asked to offer concrete reassurances that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, while demands will include an end to uranium enrichment to 20 percent purity (a level close to what is needed to create fuel for a nuclear weapon) and removal of existing 20-percent stockpiles from the country, Kimball says.

In addition, he says, Iran will be asked to fully cooperate with International Atomic Energy Agency聽(IAEA) inspectors investigating Iran鈥檚 past nuclear weapons research.

For its part, Iran is likely to demand recognition of what it says is its international right to a peaceful nuclear program 鈥� including some enrichment capacity. In return for its commitments to the international community, Iran will expect 鈥渟ignificant sanctions relief,鈥� Kimball says.

The new tone surrounding Iran and related diplomatic possibilities may reflect more than anything else that, for the first time in a long while, both sides are eager for progress, some foreign affairs experts say.

鈥淏oth sides are eager to have this go somewhere because it鈥檚 never gone anywhere before, and neither side is happy with where things have gone in the diplomatic stalemate,鈥� says Melissa Labonte, a Middle East specialist at Fordham University in New York.

Kerry鈥檚 meeting with Zarif reflects a diplomatic opening to Iran that President Obama has extended since the beginning of his presidency, Professor Labonte says 鈥� an opening that may finally be tested.

鈥淯p to this point, Obama has been pushing on a closed door,鈥� she says. Sending Kerry to hold even a brief one-on-one with the Iranian foreign minister 鈥渕ay mean he feels like he鈥檚 pushing on a more open door.鈥�