Iran’s top diplomat and Secretary of State John Kerry met Thursday and “agreed to jump-start” negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Kerry were upbeat after the historic talk at UN headquarters, which the Iranian official called “very constructive.”
It was the highest-level formal contact between the United States and Iran since the fall of the Shah in 1979.
Kerry said he was struck by a “very different tone” from Iran.”
“All of us were pleased that the foreign minister came today and that he did put some possibilities on the table,” he said.
As he left the UN to join Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Zarif said Tehran has proposed having a nuclear agreement with the United States within a year.
“We had more than a chat,” he said.
“We agreed to jump-start the process so we could move forward with a view to agreeing first on the parameters of the end game.”
Talks resume in October.
It was a sharp contrast to Tuesday, when the Iranians told US officials Rouhani didn’t have time to shake President Obama’s hand.