VIENNA (EJP)–Iran and six world powers were said to be close to a deal on the Iranian nuclerar program butWestern officials said it was highly unlikely that an agreement would be finalized on Sunday.
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Separately Sunday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a 2016 presidential contender and vocal critic of the talks, voiced support for maintaining an interim agreement in place since late 2013. But they cautioned that final details of the pact were still being worked out.
“I am concerned about where we are going”, he said, adding that the USA has moved from preventing Iran getting a nuclear weapon to simply “managing their proliferation”.
A senior U.S. State Department official remained cautious, telling NBC News that an overnight deal was possible, but that “major issues remain to be resolved”. It appears that Iran’s readiness to negotiate does not reflect any substantive policy change.
Kerry met Zarif again on Sunday, a USA official said, in an attempt to break the deadlock. “It’s now time to decide”, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius yesterday warned on the 15th day of the tortuous talks. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also reportedly due to join the talks in coming hours, raising expectations that a final agreement could be close.
“This is an historic moment and there could be serious repercussions if negotiators fail to seize this opportunity to get a good deal”, Arms Control Association analyst Kelsey Davenport told AFP.
The negotiations have also stumbled over demands that United Nations nuclear inspectors have access to military sites, amid suspicions Iran sought to develop nuclear weapons in the past, allegations Tehran categorically denies. The mood among negotiators had turned more somber each time a new target date was set.
Because the talks have already gone beyond their deadline, Congress will have 60 days to assess the deal, requiring Mr Obama to await that review before easing sanctions agreed to in a deal. But over the past week, issues that were previously on the back burner have led to new disputes.
An agreement would be the biggest step towards rapprochement between Iran and the West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, although both sides are likely to remain wary of each other even if a deal is concluded.
A senior Iranian official echoed Kerry’s cautious optimism.
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Despite Kerry’s relatively upbeat take, comments by Iran’s supreme leader suggested that Tehran’s mistrust of Washington would persist no matter what the outcome of the talks. “Prepare yourselves for more fight against Arrogance”, his English-language Twitter account quoted him as saying in a meeting with university students.
