VIENNA (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry has been talking today with Iran’s top diplomat, trying to get nuclear negotiations moving before Sunday’s deadline for a comprehensive agreement.
Today’s talks in Vienna came a day after Kerry and three European foreign ministers failed to reach a breakthrough on issues including uranium enrichment that are standing in the way of a deal. The goal is to limit Iran’s nuclear program, in exchange for an end to nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran.
Kerry and the Iranian foreign minister spoke for about two hours around midday, and then met again later in the day.
Under a six-month interim agreement that went into effect in January, world powers and Iran have until July 20 to conclude a final deal. An extension of the deadline is possible, although there are opponents of that idea on both sides.
The nuclear matter isn’t the only issue being discussed. The U.S. and Iran have recently found increasing areas for cooperation, such as stemming a flow of Sunni extremists into Iraq.
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APPHOTO XRZ101: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in front of a hotel where closed-door nuclear talks on Iran take place in Vienna, Austria, Monday, July 14, 2014. Kerry will hold in-depth discussions with Iran’s top diplomat in a bid to advance faltering nuclear negotiations, with a deadline just days away for a comprehensive agreement. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) (14 Jul 2014)
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