BICOM

The final round of talks to broker a long-term agreement over Iran’s nuclear development got underway over the weekend in Vienna but look certain to be extended beyond tomorrow’s deadline.

Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) agreed a framework to a comprehensive nuclear deal in April, paving the way for negotiations to begin towards a long-term accord, to be concluded before a self-imposed Tuesday deadline. Since April, both sides have indicated differences over fundamental issues such as Iran’s use of advanced centrifuges, the pace of sanctions relief and provision for international inspections.

US Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Vienna for the final phase of talks on Friday with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif and was joined by his counterparts from fellow P5+1 nations over the weekend. However, with core disagreements apparently still in place, Zarif returned to Tehran yesterday to consult with the country’s leaders. He is scheduled to return to Vienna tomorrow to begin a marathon session of talks.

Last week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei appeared to toughen his stance on key issues in a televised speech. He said, “Inspection of our military sites is out of the question,” and also ruled out limiting Iranian nuclear research while insisting that all sanctions be lifted immediately once an agreement is reached.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond sounded a sceptical note yesterday, telling the media, “There is going to have to be some give or take if we are to get this done in the next few days … There are a number of different areas where we still have major differences of interpretation.” European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was more upbeat, commenting, “I see the political will to finalise the deal.” She acknowledged the possibility of an extension to talks, saying, “If we need to have a couple of additional days more, it’s not the end of the world,” but added there will be “no long term extension” to negotiations.