Negotiators mull extension of Iran nuclear deadline

As the clock ticked down to the expiry of an interim accord with Iran, foreign ministers seeking a permanent agreement converged on the Austrian capital ahead of the Monday talks.

The foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and Russia were already in Vienna by late Sunday, with their Chinese counterpart arriving on Monday.

Sources on Sunday appeared to confirm that an extension of the 2300 UTC deadline (midnight local time in Vienna) would be necessary for the details of a final deal to be hammered out.

"Our focus remains on taking steps forward toward an agreement, but it is only natural that just over 24 hours from the deadline we are discussing a range of options," a senior US State Department official said.

"This does not mean that we are not continuing to discuss the broad range of difficult issues and working to make progress on all the issues that need to be part of a comprehensive agreement."

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived last Thursday, met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif several times over the course of his stay.

'Impossible' time frame

Iran also appeared to signal that an extension of the time frame of talks would be needed.

"Considering the short time left until the deadline and number of issues that needed to be discussed and resolved, it is impossible to reach a final and comprehensive deal," Iran's ISNA news agency quoted an unidentified member of Tehran's negotiating team in Vienna as saying.

Six world powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany (known as the P5+1 group) - have been locked in talks with Iran since February.

All parties have stated an intention to turn the interim accord into a lasting deal that would ease fears about Tehran's nuclear program and links with any nuclear weapons program the country might have.

While the P5+1 wants Iran to reduce its program of enrichment - a process that renders uranium suitable for peaceful uses but also to make a nuclear weapon - Tehran wants to increase it. Iranian leaders are also frustrated by what they see as a lack of pace in any proposed lifting of sanctions against Iran.

rc/av (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)