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| Iran nuclear talks: 'Big gaps' remain as deadline looms | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Key sticking points remain as negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme enter their final stages in Vienna, Western negotiators have said. | |
| Both Germany and the US said the sides were working to close "big gaps" ahead of Monday's deadline for a final deal. | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry is to hold fresh talks on Saturday with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif. | |
| Six world powers want Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of United Nations sanctions. | |
| The US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China - the so-called 5+1 group - are seeking reassurance that Iran is not trying to build a nuclear weapons capability. | The US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China - the so-called 5+1 group - are seeking reassurance that Iran is not trying to build a nuclear weapons capability. |
| Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely energy-related. | |
| Potential deal-breakers | Potential deal-breakers |
| Uranium enrichment: Western states want to reduce Iran's capacity in order to prevent it acquiring weapons-grade material but Tehran is set on expanding it nearly 20-fold in the coming years | Uranium enrichment: Western states want to reduce Iran's capacity in order to prevent it acquiring weapons-grade material but Tehran is set on expanding it nearly 20-fold in the coming years |
| Sanctions reduction: Iran wants sanctions lifted immediately but Western states want to stagger their removal to ensure Tehran abides by its commitments | Sanctions reduction: Iran wants sanctions lifted immediately but Western states want to stagger their removal to ensure Tehran abides by its commitments |
| Bomb technology: Iran has failed to explain explosives tests and other activity that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme and has denied international nuclear inspectors access to its Parchin military site | Bomb technology: Iran has failed to explain explosives tests and other activity that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme and has denied international nuclear inspectors access to its Parchin military site |
| 'No new ideas' | 'No new ideas' |
| On Saturday Mr Kerry said: "We're working hard. We hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps (...) which we're working to close." | |
| German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the negotiations so far "constructive", but added: "That must not mask the fact that there is still a big gap between us in many aspects." | |
| The P5+1 group and Iran reached an interim agreement a year ago. But the two sides failed to reach a lasting deal by July, as initially agreed, and extended the deadline until 24 November. | |
| After meeting Mr Kerry on Friday evening, Mr Zarif said he heard "no new ideas" and had received "no remarkable proposals to take to Tehran". | After meeting Mr Kerry on Friday evening, Mr Zarif said he heard "no new ideas" and had received "no remarkable proposals to take to Tehran". |
| Iran has been resisting efforts to scale back its nuclear programme for nearly a decade. | Iran has been resisting efforts to scale back its nuclear programme for nearly a decade. |
| Separately, the international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is calling on Iran to address its concerns about suspicious military activities that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme. | Separately, the international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is calling on Iran to address its concerns about suspicious military activities that could be linked to a nuclear weapons programme. |
| On Friday a senior Iranian official told the BBC the team was expecting to reach an outline of a deal by the deadline and then spend the following seven-to-10 days working on the implementation of it at expert level. | |
| Nuclear talks timeline | Nuclear talks timeline |
| Interim nuclear deal: Key points | Interim nuclear deal: Key points |
| UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called on Iran to show "flexibility". At the same time, he warned: "We have a long way to go if we are to get to a deal before the deadline." | UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond called on Iran to show "flexibility". At the same time, he warned: "We have a long way to go if we are to get to a deal before the deadline." |
| However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "all the elements are already on the table" as long as there was "political will". | However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "all the elements are already on the table" as long as there was "political will". |
| The deal being sought by the world powers is not directly linked to the IAEA's investigation of Iran. | The deal being sought by the world powers is not directly linked to the IAEA's investigation of Iran. |
| However, the US has said in the past that Iran must address the watchdog's concerns if it expects a comprehensive agreement in the talks. | However, the US has said in the past that Iran must address the watchdog's concerns if it expects a comprehensive agreement in the talks. |
| IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iran had not "provided any explanations that enable the agency to clarify the outstanding practical measures". | IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iran had not "provided any explanations that enable the agency to clarify the outstanding practical measures". |