“There are hard points that remain, but things are all the same going in the right direction”, he said, adding “I hope we will be able to complete the meters that need to be run”.
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Negotiators working on a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear program agreed Friday to extend an interim agreement until Monday to give them more time to work.
“A deal might be reached provided that our redlines are revered”, stated Ali Akbar Velayati, the adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
There are still reported to be differences between Tehran and the five world powers – the United States, UN, Russia, Britain, France and Germany – over inspections, verification and sanctions.
Over the past two years, the nuclear talks have brought about the first intensive direct diplomacy between the United States and Iran since Iranian revolutionaries stormed the USA embassy in Tehran in 1979. Zarif’s critical comments were thus seen as mostly directed against Washington.
McCain created a fake diagram with his hands, showing the US position inching toward Iran’s stance. But Iran’s demand that a United Nations arms embargo be lifted has thrown a spanner in the works.
“There are still some issues that have to be resolved”.
He added, “Well, I think the fact is, it’s been made very clear, because of the enormous concessions that have already been made, as I mentioned, from the position of eliminating that to delaying it, and other concessions that have been made, that, yes, Iran wants it, but not as badly as the United States does”.
The failure to reach an agreement seems to be injecting frustration at the negotiation table as U.S Secretary of State told reporters that “we can’t wait forever for the decision to be made”. The sides have given themselves until Friday to come to agreement after twice missing previous target dates.
“We are here because we believe we are making real progress toward a comprehensive deal”, Kerry was quoted as saying by the Wall Street Journal. “Off the balcony”, quipped Federica Mogherini, the top European Union diplomat convening the talks, prompting a smile from Kerry and an admonitory wag of a finger. The latest extension is just one of several as negotiators have blown past a series of deadlines in the nuclear talks. “As with any negotiations, both sides are seeking a good deal”. The last time Obama held such a call with his negotiators was shortly before the framework for a final accord was reached April 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland. “And its outcome will not benefit you since Iran’s nuclear staff are ready to accelerate nuclear technology at a higher speed than before”.
“A compromise should be found”, Putin said after hosting a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the Urals city of Ufa, where he met with President Rouhani on Thursday.
Iran has said it is for peaceful purposes only, such as power production.
But fleshing out the details have proved elusive, in part due to new Iranian demands on sanctions relief and limiting access to global inspectors who would verify any deal.
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White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday that negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme could continue as long as the countries involved were committed to resolving issues blocking an agreement, even if talks were extended beyond the latest self-imposed deadline.
