Deadline nears for Iran nuclear talks
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Russian Foreign Minister is heading to Vienna for the talks, state media report
- Iranian agency cites unidentified official as saying deal "impossible" before deadline
- A U.S. official acknowledges gaps between the sides but says talks still moving forward
- Both sides appear to leave open the possibility of a further extension beyond Monday
But a U.S. official expressed a degree of optimism about the talks, which have now reached a critical stage.
Both sides appeared to be
pointing to the possibility of yet another extension to the months-long
series of negotiations whose final outcome is expected to have a
lasting effect on Iran's relations with the West.
Based on the differences
that remain between negotiators and in light of the limited time
remaining, reaching a deal by Monday "would be impossible," the Iranian
Students' News Agency reported Sunday, citing an unidentified Iranian
official involved in the talks.
The official said that the option to extend the deadline is on the table.
'Big gaps'
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in Vienna for the talks, said Saturday that "big gaps" remained between negotiators.
A senior U.S. State
Department official on Sunday referred back to those comments but told
CNN that "we are discussing the broad range of issues and we are
continuing to take steps forward."
But the progress being made is only "chipping away" at the issues, the official cautioned.
"The focus of
discussions remains on an agreement, but we are discussing both
internally and with our partners a range of options for the best path
forward," the official said.
The negotiations are
between Iran and the group known as the P5+1, consisting of Germany, the
United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Vienna on Sunday evening to participate in
the talks, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported, citing a
source in the Russian delegation.
A deal could bring about
an end to significant sanctions against Tehran and a warming of ties
with the West. The absence of a deal would most likely ramp up tensions
and could lead to more punitive measures -- and even confrontation --
over Iran's controversial nuclear program.
Pressure on both sides
Iran insists that like
other countries, it has a right to develop nuclear power for peaceful
purposes. But Western powers have accused it of trying to develop not
just nuclear energy but nuclear weapons, as well.
The head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency, who is not part of the Vienna talks,
said Thursday that Iranian authorities are continuing to deny his
agency access to a sensitive military complex suspected of being a site
of nuclear activities.
President Barack Obama
and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani face domestic political pressure to
strike a deal. An extension could sharpen opposition both in the U.S.
and in Iran.
Republicans take control
of the Senate in January and lawmakers have threatened fresh sanctions
on Iran if a deal is not reached. Although Obama has the power to veto,
just the prospect of additional sanctions could drive Iran away from the
table.
Rouhani and Foreign
Minister Javad Zarif, the lead Iranian negotiator, are under fire from
conservatives and lawmakers who were skeptical of the interim deal and
have said a final agreement must be ratified by parliament. Earlier this
month 200 Iranian members of parliament signed a statement demanding
that Iranian negotiators "vigorously defend" the country's nuclear
rights and ensure a "total lifting of sanctions."
The senior U.S. State Department official told CNN on Sunday that the Iranians "still have big decisions that need to be made."