Iranian FM: Nuclear deal possible in 6 months

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Mohammad Zarif said on Monday a final deal with the world powers on Tehran's nuclear program is possible within six months if there is good will, adding that he is not worried about the US Congress efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran. US President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address last week to veto any legislation that threatens the talks with Iran. US senators including some of Obama's Democrats have co-sponsored a bill that would impose new restrictions on Iran if talks on a permanent accord falter, Reuters reported. But Iran has warned that it will walk away from negotiations, if the bill becomes law. It is now stalled in the Senate. "With good will we can reach an agreement within six months," he said in a speech to the German Council on Foreign Relations. "I don't fear a decision in the US Congress ... The US president has promised to veto it." Zarif was visiting Berlin after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry and other members of the six powers negotiating with Iran at the annual Munich Security Conference at the weekend. On November 24, Iran and the world powers sealed a six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program. In exchange for Tehran’s confidence-building bid to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the Sextet of world powers agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran and continue talks with the country to settle all problems between the two sides. Then after several rounds of experts talks on how to enforce the agreement, Iran and the six major world powers finalized an agreement on ways to implement the deal. On January 20, a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Iran has halted its 20-percent enrichment activity under the Geneva deal. Hours later the US and the EU removed part of their sanctions against Tehran.