US Secretary of State, John Kerry held a news conference with Foreign Minister Judeh in the Jordanian capital Amman after their meeting on Middle East peace talks. While addressing Iran’s nuclear negotiations, Mr. Kerry said: “Our number-one priority on Iran is making sure that they don’t get a nuclear weapon. It’s that simple, that direct. We’re engaged in a difficult but serious negotiation toward that end. The question now is whether Iran will make the choices required to close the final gaps and provide assurances that they can’t develop and won’t develop a nuclear weapon.
“Iranian leaders have said repeatedly and unambiguously that they have no intention of building a nuclear weapon. But actions have to be taken to back up those words and time is running short. The international community’s concerns are legitimate, and no agreement can be reached without addressing those concerns.
“So proving that you have a peaceful program is really just a question of choices. And with the November 24th deadline rapidly approaching, choices are going to have to be made very soon.”
Secretary Kerry added: “There are four pathways to a nuclear weapon and we need to make certain that each pathway – the Fordow facility, the Arak heavy water plutonium reactor facility, the Natanz enrichment facility, and covert capacities – are all closed off so the world can know for certain that a program is indeed a peaceful program. And our responsibility is to make certain that there is a sufficient breakout time in the event that there was some change in policy or something happened.
Our hopes remain still to try to achieve an agreement because it’s better for the world. But we can’t achieve just any agreement. It has to be done in a way that meets the standards I just set out. It’s difficult, and we hope Iran will work in the same way that we are, not as a matter of coercion but out of mutual respect and out of the interests that we all have for living in a world that is free of nuclear weapons.
US State Dept. Briefing November 13, 2014