Kerry, Zarif race against clock in nuke talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart are meeting for high-stakes talks in Vienna, with time running out to nail down a landmark nuclear deal, AFP is reporting.

Ahead of Tuesday’s final deadline, there were signs that an end may be in sight.

“Extending the talks is not an option for anyone… We are trying to finish the job,” Iran’s lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi told Iranian TV late Saturday, saying there was a “positive atmosphere.”

But he added: “If we reach an agreement that respects our red lines then there will be a deal. Otherwise we prefer to return home to Tehran empty-handed.”

One of the thorniest issues — choreographing the complicated waltz of nuclear steps by Iran and reciprocal sanctions relief — a compromise may be emerging, at least among experts thrashing out the complex final accord.

“There are still differences,” an Iranian official insisted, however, while a Western diplomat said that on UN sanctions — as opposed to EU and US ones — there was “no agreement yet.”

Under the mooted accord, building on a framework deal from April, a complex web of sanctions suffocating the Iranian economy will be progressively eased if Tehran massively scales down its nuclear program for at least a decade.

— AFP