Ex-CIA chief criticism over Iran nuclear talks doing ’disservice’ to Obama

A recent criticism by former CIA head Michael Hayden over nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries is doing “disservice” to the Obama administration as well as Iran, says a political commentator.

“These comments are doing disservice to the Obama administration and P5+1 and to some extent to the Iranian government that is trying to meet this really tight deadline and provide the agreement that is acceptable to both countries,” Nader Bagherzadeh told Press TV on Monday.

The professor at the University of Irvine made the remarks in a phone interview when asked to comment on Hayden’s assessment of the negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US -- plus Germany.

“I would actually fear that the Iranians have the upper hand right now,” Hayden said. “I would hope this is not the final round of talks.”

The two sides are holding talks in Vienna to finalize the text of a possible historic deal over Tehran’s nuclear program by the end of June.

“The important thing is that they have to go and make an agreement that is a win-win situation and then hold each others to this agreement; both sides have to do that,” said Bagherzadeh.

The Obama administration’s critics have repeatedly denounced the talks, calling on the US president to stop the negotiations.

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