Nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 began today in Baghdad after a short delay due to weather conditions.
The Iranian delegation arrived in Iraq last night, but the arrival of Catherine Ashton, the head of EU foreign policy, was delayed due to heavy dust.
Reports indicate that 15,000 security police are deployed in Baghdad for the meeting.
The two parties last met on April 14 in Istanbul. While no formal statements were issued about the meeting, informed diplomats told Reuters that both sides agreed to come up with a road map for proceeding with the negotiations.
According to the road map, international sanctions against Iran are to be eased in exchange for Iran’s cooperation.
Iran is also engaged in talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said, following a recent trip to Iran, that the agency is determined to strike a deal with Iran “quite soon.”
The West suspects that Iran’s nuclear program might be directed toward the development of weapons, but Iran denies the allegations and says its program is peaceful.