VIENNA — World powers and Iran prepared to move past Tuesday’s deadline for a comprehensive nuclear agreement, with officials suggesting significant backtracking by Tehran’s negotiators that may need several more days of discussions to resolve.
On a day that served as an early intermission in the negotiation, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met the head of the U.N. nuclear agency in Vienna while Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif received his latest guidance from leaders in Tehran. Zarif was scheduled to return to the talks Tuesday, followed by the arrival of Russia’s top diplomat.
Monday was originally envisioned as the penultimate day of a 20-month process to assure the world Iran cannot produce nuclear weapons and provide the Iranian people a path out of years of international isolation. But officials said over the weekend they were nowhere near a final accord.
While the seven nations will continue working beyond their original June 30 deadline, a U.S. official stressed that there is no talk of a long-term extension.
The official added that it would not surprise the parties if talks drag on further past the deadline than they did for the framework pact. In that case, negotiators wrapped up talks April 2, two days after a March 30 deadline.
