Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Official portrait.
The nuclear talks between Iran and the US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany have begun in Vienna, with the international community looking for Iran to curtail its nuclear programme and stop pushing towards production of a nuclear weapon.
Iran has always maintained that its nuclear programme is peaceful, but the West has long believed that Iran is looking to create a nuclear bomb in order to threaten Israel and dominate the Middle East, which is alleged to have developed a nuclear arsenal in the 1960s, but has never admitted to this fact.
Despite the backdrop of tensions in Crimea, many are optimistic for these talks, with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani widely believed to be a progressive looking to warm relations with the international community. Rouhani is looking to have banking and oil sanctions against Tehran lifted to allow the Iranian economy to recover, and with the continued conflict in Syria, the international community need to open relations with Tehran to try and find a solution to the bloodshed.
The parties hope to have a deal agreed upon by the middle of July.
