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| Iran nuclear talks: Diplomats push for Vienna deal | Iran nuclear talks: Diplomats push for Vienna deal |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Foreign ministers from world powers have been involved in intensive talks to try to to reach a nuclear deal with Iran before Monday's deadline. | |
| With no sign of progress at the talks in Vienna, Austria, the US says an option is extending the deadline. | |
| The six nations - US, UK, Russia, China, Germany and France - want Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of UN sanctions. | |
| Iran says it is not seeking nuclear weapons, but wants atomic energy. | Iran says it is not seeking nuclear weapons, but wants atomic energy. |
| It says its nuclear programme is solely designed to provide peaceful, civilian projects. | It says its nuclear programme is solely designed to provide peaceful, civilian projects. |
| Representatives of the so-called P5+1 group - five permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia, the US plus Germany - are taking part in the negotiations with Iran. | |
| There have been few solid indications of progress so far, but Iranian sources told BBC Persian's Kasra Naji on Sunday that a "political agreement" could be reached before the deadline. | There have been few solid indications of progress so far, but Iranian sources told BBC Persian's Kasra Naji on Sunday that a "political agreement" could be reached before the deadline. |
| Analysis: Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor, Vienna | Analysis: Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor, Vienna |
| The price of failure is potentially serious. These talks are the culmination of a lot of work since a temporary agreement in Geneva a year ago. That deal stopped what appeared to be an inexorable slide to war. Israel was threatening to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. | The price of failure is potentially serious. These talks are the culmination of a lot of work since a temporary agreement in Geneva a year ago. That deal stopped what appeared to be an inexorable slide to war. Israel was threatening to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. |
| Success would do much to lift Iran's isolation - which would change the strategic balance in the Middle East. That intrigues some Western diplomats. It horrifies Saudi Arabia and Israel. | Success would do much to lift Iran's isolation - which would change the strategic balance in the Middle East. That intrigues some Western diplomats. It horrifies Saudi Arabia and Israel. |
| A year ago all sides in the talks saw an opportunity to deal with an issue that could potentially cause another catastrophic war. That will make them very reluctant to leave Vienna empty-handed - even if that means they will have to do more work on the details next year. | A year ago all sides in the talks saw an opportunity to deal with an issue that could potentially cause another catastrophic war. That will make them very reluctant to leave Vienna empty-handed - even if that means they will have to do more work on the details next year. |
| Time is limited though. Hardliners in Tehran and Washington DC will try to sabotage any agreement. Both see no reason to dilute their mutual suspicion. | Time is limited though. Hardliners in Tehran and Washington DC will try to sabotage any agreement. Both see no reason to dilute their mutual suspicion. |
| With time running out, diplomats have not managed to come close to a broad and comprehensive agreement. Instead they are agreeing on a document which at best might mention parameters of a future agreement, he says. | With time running out, diplomats have not managed to come close to a broad and comprehensive agreement. Instead they are agreeing on a document which at best might mention parameters of a future agreement, he says. |
| Earlier, an Iranian news agency quoted an unnamed member of the Iranian delegation as saying a full deal was "impossible" by Monday. | Earlier, an Iranian news agency quoted an unnamed member of the Iranian delegation as saying a full deal was "impossible" by Monday. |
| Significant differences reportedly remain over the scope of Iran's uranium enrichment programme and the timing of sanctions relief. | Significant differences reportedly remain over the scope of Iran's uranium enrichment programme and the timing of sanctions relief. |
| On Sunday evening, a senior US state department official told reporters that the possibility of an extension to the negotiations was being discussed. | |
| "Our focus remains on taking steps forward toward an agreement, but it is only natural that just over 24 hours from the deadline we are discussing a range of options," the official said. | |
| Saudi concerns | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have held several rounds of talks in recent days in an attempt to break the deadlock. | US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have held several rounds of talks in recent days in an attempt to break the deadlock. |
| Talks are expected to continue late on Sunday and into Monday, with Mr Kerry joining European allies for a working dinner following a meeting with the Saudi foreign minister. | Talks are expected to continue late on Sunday and into Monday, with Mr Kerry joining European allies for a working dinner following a meeting with the Saudi foreign minister. |
| Saudi Arabia is not a party of the P5+1 talks, but is concerned about Iran's influence in the region. | Saudi Arabia is not a party of the P5+1 talks, but is concerned about Iran's influence in the region. |
| Iranian sources told the BBC that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also due to arrive in Vienna on Sunday. | Iranian sources told the BBC that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also due to arrive in Vienna on Sunday. |
| 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 |
| Rare protest | Rare protest |
| As the final rounds of talks got under way, 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". | As the final rounds of talks got under way, 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". |
| Meanwhile, in Tehran, officials approved a rare protest by hardliners who criticised government negotiators. | Meanwhile, in Tehran, officials approved a rare protest by hardliners who criticised government negotiators. |
| The demonstrators accused President Hassan Rouhani of giving in to Western pressure. | The demonstrators accused President Hassan Rouhani of giving in to Western pressure. |
| The P5+1 group and Iran agreed an interim deal, known as the Geneva Accord, last year. | The P5+1 group and Iran agreed an interim deal, known as the Geneva Accord, last year. |
| Under the agreement, Iran curbed some of its uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief. | Under the agreement, Iran curbed some of its uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief. |
| However, the two sides failed to reach a lasting deal by July, as initially agreed, and extended the deadline until 24 November. | However, 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 |