US, Iran Lay Ground for Extension of Nuclear Deal Deadline

Local Editor

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif laid the groundwork for the possible extension of a Sunday deadline to strike a historic nuclear deal after intense talks in the Austrian city of Vienna on Tuesday.

Kerry said on Tuesday that the latest round of talks has been positive, stating that, "We have all made the commitments made in the Joint Plan [of Action] and we have all lived up to our obligations. We have all continued to negotiate in good faith."

He further said, "I am returning to Washington today to consult with [US] President [Barack] Obama and with leaders in Congress over the coming days about the prospects for a comprehensive agreement, as well as a path forward if we do not achieve one by the 20th of July, including the question of whether or not more time is warranted, based on the progress we've made and how things are going."

Meanwhile, Zarif said in a separate news conference that there had been "tangible progress on key issues, and we had extensive conversations in which we moved on certain things," although "very real gaps" persisted between the two sides.

He added that although he still hopes a deal would be possible by Sunday, he believed enough progress has been made to justify a continuation.

He said that talks might continue between the two sides beyond a July 20 deadline.
"As we stand now, we have made enough headway to be able to tell our political bosses that this is a process worth continuing," Zarif said. "This is my recommendation. I am sure Secretary Kerry will make the same recommendation."

"I see an inclination on the part of our negotiating partners that they believe more time may be useful and necessary," said Zarif, adding that, "Everybody needs to make a choice not just Iran. It's for everyone to make the choice and I hope everyone would make the right choice, because this opportunity will not be repeated in the near future."

Both Kerry and Mohammad Javad Zarif said that after two days of one-on-one discussions which failed to yield any major breakthrough that negotiators would still keep trying until the July 20 cut-off.

Moreover, one diplomat said on condition of anonymity on the sidelines of talks in Vienna that, "As it's highly improbable that we will finalize in Vienna before the weekend, it is highly probable that there will be a wish to continue to negotiate in the coming months."

"We cannot say that things are going in the wrong direction, they are going pretty much in the right direction. But on the biggest and most difficult issue [enrichment], we are still far apart," he said.

He added that following two days of intensive talks between Kerry and Zarif, all focus was now on the terms of the extension.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States - plus Germany clinched a landmark interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24, 2013.

Iran has repeatedly said it is not seeking the atomic bomb and wants the lifting of crippling UN and Western sanctions. It has also repeatedly said that its nuclear facilities are for purely peaceful purposes and that it has the perfect right to nuclear activities under international treaties.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team