Britain: ‘No breakthrough moment yet’ in Iran talks

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Thursday there was no breakthrough yet in the Iran nuclear talks as they stretched into a sixth day, but insisted work was continuing for a deal.

“I don’t think we are at any kind of breakthrough moment yet,” Hammond said as he arrived in Vienna for talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

But Hammond stressed: “The work goes on. You’re going to see over the next few days ministers coming and ministers going to maintain the momentum of these discussions.”

Global powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — have given themselves an extra week to July 7 to try to nail down a deal curtailing Iran’ nuclear program after more than 20 months of intense negotiations.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano Thursday held talks in Tehran, seeking a way around one of the thorniest issues: a stalled probe into Iran’s suspected nuclear bomb development.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini was due back in Vienna later Thursday for more talks with Kerry.

While Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also in the Austrian capital for the first time since the start of this round of talks.