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| Iran Nuclear Talks Still Face ‘Difficult Issues,’ Kerry Says | Iran Nuclear Talks Still Face ‘Difficult Issues,’ Kerry Says |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| VIENNA — Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that there were still “difficult issues to resolve” before a landmark nuclear accord with Iran could be completed. | |
| Mr. Kerry, who is in his 15th day of talks here, posted that message on Twitter after a meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, and Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy chief for the European Union. | Mr. Kerry, who is in his 15th day of talks here, posted that message on Twitter after a meeting with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, and Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy chief for the European Union. |
| Iran’s insistence on the lifting of a United Nations ban on shipments of conventional weapons in and out of the country has emerged as one of the remaining obstacles to an agreement. That issue was thought to have been resolved during talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, in April. But Iran, with Russia’s support, pressed its demands over the past week. | Iran’s insistence on the lifting of a United Nations ban on shipments of conventional weapons in and out of the country has emerged as one of the remaining obstacles to an agreement. That issue was thought to have been resolved during talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, in April. But Iran, with Russia’s support, pressed its demands over the past week. |
| An interim nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers — the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China — has been extended through Monday so negotiators can pursue a final deal this weekend. That interim agreement freezes much of Iran’s nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions. | An interim nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers — the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China — has been extended through Monday so negotiators can pursue a final deal this weekend. That interim agreement freezes much of Iran’s nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions. |
| The extension of the interim agreement and the arrival of some of Mr. Kerry’s counterparts have raised expectations that the long-running negotiations may be moving into their last days after a difficult week in which diplomats from each side traded accusations of backtracking. | The extension of the interim agreement and the arrival of some of Mr. Kerry’s counterparts have raised expectations that the long-running negotiations may be moving into their last days after a difficult week in which diplomats from each side traded accusations of backtracking. |
| Laurent Fabius, France’s foreign minister, returned here on Saturday morning to join Mr. Kerry and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s chief diplomat. Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, was expected to arrive later in the day. | Laurent Fabius, France’s foreign minister, returned here on Saturday morning to join Mr. Kerry and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s chief diplomat. Britain’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, was expected to arrive later in the day. |
| Diplomats missed the original June 30 deadline for finishing the accord, and the talks have already been extended three times since then with no firm target date for a conclusion. It is also not clear when Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, will return or when China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, might attend. | Diplomats missed the original June 30 deadline for finishing the accord, and the talks have already been extended three times since then with no firm target date for a conclusion. It is also not clear when Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, will return or when China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, might attend. |
| On Friday, the White House sought to play down the extension of the talks, saying President Obama was not concerned about missing deadlines in his push for a deal. The United States and other world powers “have never been closer to an agreement” with Iran, said Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, adding that “important progress has been made over the last couple of weeks” in Vienna. | On Friday, the White House sought to play down the extension of the talks, saying President Obama was not concerned about missing deadlines in his push for a deal. The United States and other world powers “have never been closer to an agreement” with Iran, said Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, adding that “important progress has been made over the last couple of weeks” in Vienna. |
| “That said, there continue to be significant sticking points that remain,” Mr. Earnest said. “The president has indicated to his negotiating team that they should remain in Vienna and they should continue to negotiate as long as the talks continue to be useful.” | “That said, there continue to be significant sticking points that remain,” Mr. Earnest said. “The president has indicated to his negotiating team that they should remain in Vienna and they should continue to negotiate as long as the talks continue to be useful.” |