Iran media claims only ‘one or two’ issues remain in nuke talks

Despite numerous reports in recent days that the emerging nuclear deal between Iran and world powers has been stalling over several key issues, Iranian media reported Thursday that nearly all the points of contention in the extended negotiations had been resolved.

According to Iran’s semi-official FARS news agency, Tehran’s deputy foreign minister and negotiator Majid Takht Ravanchi asserted that only “one or two” issues remain to be resolved before Tehran and world powers can reach a final accord that seeks to put long-term caps on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for economic sanctions relief.

“Most of the issues in the experts meetings have ended, while talks among the deputies continue and there will possibly remain one or two issues that will need ministerial decisions,” Ravanchi told reporters in Vienna.

The report comes as a senior Iranian negotiator told reporters that Tehran had rejected any extraordinary inspections of its nuclear sites and threatened to ramp up enrichment of bomb-making material if the United States and other countries re-impose sanctions after the deal is in place.

The unnamed official urged negotiators to be “realistic,” and said the International Atomic Energy Agency’s standard rules governing access to government information, sites of interest and scientists should be sufficient to ensure that Iran’s program is solely for peaceful purposes. Anything beyond that, he said, would be unfair.

Earlier on Thursday, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said there was no breakthrough yet in the negotiations 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.

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’s nuclear program after more than 20 months of intense negotiations.

Earlier this week, US President Barack Obama reiterated that he would not hesitate to “walk away” from a nuclear deal with Iran if the conditions are not satisfactory. Obama told reporters at a White House press conference on Tuesday that Tehran would have to agree to a “strong, rigorous verification mechanism” on curbing its disputed nuclear program.

Violations by Iran would complicate the Obama administration’s argument that US negotiators are holding the line on demands for a verifiable deal that extends the time Iran would need to make a weapon to at least a year. Tehran says its nuclear program is meant only to fuel reactors and for other non-military purposes.