CHINA TOPIX

Iran Nuclear Deal May Face Extension As Talks Remain Bleak Amid Looming Deadline

Christl Leong   |

Nov 23, 2014 09:58 PM EST

The United States on Sunday proposed to extend negotiations on Iran's nuclear program as several issues remain unresolved only hours away from the Nov. 24 deadline. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had formally raised the possibility of an extension with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday evening following internal discussions with the rest of the P5+1 - China, Britain, France, Germany and Russia, the Washinton Post noted. Kerry acknowledged that "serious gaps" between the two sides remained unresolved. But while a final settlement on a nuclear deal by the Monday deadline is "impossible," a framework outlining key principles for the final agreement is still within reach, according to a Western official cited by the Wall Street Journal. Two major points of contention appear to be the speed with which Iran could be granted relief from sanctions and the amount of nuclear fuel production to be reduced, the WSJ relayed. Tehran is seeking to lift most of the sanctions levied by the United Nations, European Union and the U.S. once the deal has been inked. However, Western nations argue that UN sanctions can only be eased after Iran has confirmed compliance to the agreement. As part of the condition to lift economic sanctions, the P5+1 wants assurances that Iran's nuclear program cannot reach capacities that would enable them to manufacture nuclear weapons. U.S. President Barack Obama said that a nuclear deal would bring an end to Iran's global isolation but that there was still a significant amount of work to be done, including in Iran where internal politics could hamper a resolution on the issue. Obama said that Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who has pushed for a settlement on Tehran's nuclear initiatives in exchange for the easement of sanctions, is not the country's "ultimate" decision-maker. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is. On Sunday, Iranian demonstrators signified their discontent with the government negotiators and accused Rouhani of acquiescing to Western pressure. The United States on Sunday proposed to extend negotiations on Iran's nuclear program as several issues remain unresolved only hours away from the Nov. 24 deadline. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had formally raised the possibility of an extension with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday evening following internal discussions with the rest of the P5+1 - China, Britain, France, Germany and Russia, the Washinton Post noted. Kerry acknowledged that "serious gaps" between the two sides remained unresolved. But while a final settlement on a nuclear deal by the Monday deadline is "impossible," a framework outlining key principles for the final agreement is still within reach, according to a Western official cited by the Wall Street Journal. Two major points of contention appear to be the speed with which Iran could be granted relief from sanctions and the amount of nuclear fuel production to be reduced, the WSJ relayed. Tehran is seeking to lift most of the sanctions levied by the United Nations, European Union and the U.S. once the deal has been inked. However, Western nations argue that UN sanctions can only be eased after Iran has confirmed compliance to the agreement. As part of the condition to lift economic sanctions, the P5+1 wants assurances that Iran's nuclear program cannot reach capacities that would enable them to manufacture nuclear weapons. U.S. President Barack Obama said that a nuclear deal would bring an end to Iran's global isolation but that there was still a significant amount of work to be done, including in Iran where internal politics could hamper a resolution on the issue. Obama said that Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, who has pushed for a settlement on Tehran's nuclear initiatives in exchange for the easement of sanctions, is not the country's "ultimate" decision-maker. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is. On Sunday, Iranian demonstrators signified their discontent with the government negotiators and accused Rouhani of acquiescing to Western pressure. The United States on Sunday proposed to extend negotiations on Iran's nuclear program as several issues remain unresolved only hours away from the November 24 deadline.