This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/24/iran-nuclear-talks-likely-extended-vienna

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Iran nuclear talks likely to be extended, diplomats say Iran nuclear talks extended to 2015
(about 1 hour later)
Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme are likely to be extended with a resumption next month, according to western diplomats at the talks in Vienna. Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme have been extended until the end of June next year, but with the hope that a broad framework agreement will be agreed with three months, Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said on Monday.
An extension would mean the final week of scheduled talks, due to end at midnight on Monday, had failed to achieve a breakthrough. Speaking after the conclusion of a week of talks in Vienna between six world powers and Iran, Hammond said the two sides had made “significant progress”, but had fallen short of meeting Monday night’s deadline to reach a comprehensive agreement. However, he insisted the negotiations would continue with the same intensity, resuming next month.
Possible venues for a further round include Vienna and Muscat, the Omani capital. It was not clear, however, whether the Iranian delegation led by the foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, had agreed to such a long delay. “We can’t afford to stop now,” Hammond said. “All parties agreed we would maintain momentum, that the negotiations will go on. There will be further meetings in December and our clear target is to reach a headline agreement, an agreement on substance in the next three months or so.”
“What I know is there is no Iranian agreement yet on the extension,” one Iranian official said, saying a delay of only a few days would be more acceptable to Tehran. Arrangements agreed a year ago, to stop an escalation of the nuclear crisis by freezing the Iranian programme and sanctions, will be extended until 30 June. But Hammond stressed that the aim was to secure a broad accord well before then, leaving the remaining time to iron out technical details for a final formal agreement.
“I think we are beginning to understand each other and each other’s positions and the challenges that we all face. Everyone is going to have to show some flexibility to get an agreement,” Hammond said.
The talks in Vienna brought together the US secretary of state, John Kerry, Zarif and their counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China in an attempt to reach an agreement to on the curtail Iran’s nuclear capabilities in return for the lifting of some of the sanctions against the country.The talks in Vienna brought together the US secretary of state, John Kerry, Zarif and their counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China in an attempt to reach an agreement to on the curtail Iran’s nuclear capabilities in return for the lifting of some of the sanctions against the country.
If an extension is announced, it is unclear whether it would be accompanied by a formal statement on progress from the foreign ministers. Both Washington and Tehran are under significant pressure from conservatives at home to win concessions from the other side. The sticking points in Vienna were believed to be the uranium enrichment capacity Iran would be permitted for the duration of a deal, and the sequence of and speed at which sanctions would be lifted.
The sticking points in Vienna are believed to be the uranium enrichment capacity Iran would be permitted for the duration of a deal, and the sequence of and speed at which sanctions would be lifted.
All seven foreign ministers assembled in a central Vienna hotel on Monday for a plenary session chaired by the former EU foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, to try to agree on how to keep the negotiations going.All seven foreign ministers assembled in a central Vienna hotel on Monday for a plenary session chaired by the former EU foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, to try to agree on how to keep the negotiations going.
On Sunday, the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, promised a “last big push”, but said that negotiators were still a long way apart.On Sunday, the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, promised a “last big push”, but said that negotiators were still a long way apart.
Asked about the possibility of an extension, Hammond said: “At the moment we’re focused on the last push … to try and get this across the line. Of course if we’re not able to do it, we’ll then look at where we go from there, but at the moment everybody’s talking about how we are going to try and bridge that gap and move things forward with the Iranians.Asked about the possibility of an extension, Hammond said: “At the moment we’re focused on the last push … to try and get this across the line. Of course if we’re not able to do it, we’ll then look at where we go from there, but at the moment everybody’s talking about how we are going to try and bridge that gap and move things forward with the Iranians.
Hammond said, however, that he didn’t want to offer false hope. “We’re still quite a long way apart and there are some very tough and complex issues to deal with, but we’re all focused right now on trying to get that deal done,” he said.Hammond said, however, that he didn’t want to offer false hope. “We’re still quite a long way apart and there are some very tough and complex issues to deal with, but we’re all focused right now on trying to get that deal done,” he said.