New York--US top diplomat John Kerry met his Iranian counterpart Monday hoping to push forward tough nuclear negotiations as they reach the final phase, but also aiming to ease unrest in Yemen.
The secretary of state huddled with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for the first time since they hammered out the groundbreaking parameters for a final deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions during marathon eight-day talks in Switzerland earlier this month.
Since the talks under the aegis of the P5+1 group resumed in earnest some 18 months ago, the US has insisted they are solely focused on the nuclear program.
But increasingly, US officials have acknowledged that discussions on other burning concerns, such as the growth of Islamic militants in Iraq and the unrest in Yemen fueled by Iran-backed Shiite militias, have bled into the talks between two nations who do not have diplomatic ties.
Kerry said ahead of Monday's talks that he was "confident that Yemen will be mentioned certainly, because Iran is obviously a supportive party to the Huthis."
"I will certainly urge that everybody do their part to try to reduce the violence and allow the negotiations to begin," he told reporters, adding that the future of Yemen must be decided by Yemenis and not "external parties and proxies."
Iran and the United States along with world powers are locked in a tough cycle of negotiations seeking to reach a deal by June 30.
AFP
