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| Iran nuclear talks: Doubts over deal as deadline looms | Iran nuclear talks: Doubts over deal as deadline looms |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Doubts are growing at talks in Vienna that a deal on Iran's controversial nuclear programme will be struck before a Monday deadline. | |
| Both the US and Germany said the sides were working to close "big gaps", with some suggestions that the deadline could be extended. | Both the US and Germany said the sides were working to close "big gaps", with some suggestions that the deadline could be extended. |
| Six world powers want Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of United Nations sanctions. | Six world powers want Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of United Nations sanctions. |
| Iran rejects claims that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons. | Iran rejects claims that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons. |
| It says its programme is purely peaceful for energy purposes. | It says its programme is purely peaceful for energy purposes. |
| Representatives of the so-called P5+1 group - Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany - are taking part in the negotiations with Iran in the Austrian capital. | Representatives of the so-called P5+1 group - Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany - are taking part in the negotiations with Iran in the Austrian capital. |
| 'Sneakout' | 'Sneakout' |
| On Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "We're working hard. We hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps... which we're working to close." | On Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "We're working hard. We hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps... which we're working to close." |
| He spoke after a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif - their fourth in three days. | |
| German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said progress was still possible if Iran wanted it. | |
| 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 |
| The BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna says it is not clear whether a comprehensive deal can be reached by Monday's deadline. | |
| Diplomats at the talks have suggested that more time may be needed: Iran's Isna news agency quotes an unnamed member of the Iranian delegation as saying a deal was impossible by Monday and that an extension was "on the table". | |
| AFP news agency quotes an Iranian source as saying Tehran was open to extending the negotiations by up to a year. | |
| A US official said the aim remained getting a deal by Monday night, "but we are discussing both internally and with our partners a range of options", AFP reported. | |
| The New York Times reported that a key US concern was to prevent Iran from producing a bomb at undetected nuclear locations - referred to as a "sneakout". | The New York Times reported that a key US concern was to prevent Iran from producing a bomb at undetected nuclear locations - referred to as a "sneakout". |
| The newspaper quoted one participant as saying that the goal was to "make as airtight as possible" the language that would allow highly intrusive inspections. | |
| Meanwhile a correspondent for the newspaper in Tehran reported on Twitter that authorities had allowed a rare protest by hardliners against a deal. | |
| The demonstrators accused President Hassan Rouhani of giving in to Western pressure. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. |
| Nuclear talks timeline | Nuclear talks timeline |
| Interim nuclear deal: Key points | Interim nuclear deal: Key points |