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| Iran Nuclear Negotiators, Facing Key Differences, Weigh Extending Deadline | Iran Nuclear Negotiators, Facing Key Differences, Weigh Extending Deadline |
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| VIENNA — With a deadline for an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program just a day away, American officials finally acknowledged Sunday that the two sides would not reach a deal by Monday’s deadline but would probably extend the talks a second time to explore a series of possible solutions. | VIENNA — With a deadline for an agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program just a day away, American officials finally acknowledged Sunday that the two sides would not reach a deal by Monday’s deadline but would probably extend the talks a second time to explore a series of possible solutions. |
| It was unclear how long the talks would be prolonged or what additional sanctions relief Iran might receive as negotiators wrestled with differences such as how much nuclear fuel Iran could produce, how long the accord would last and how intrusive inspections would be, among other issues. | It was unclear how long the talks would be prolonged or what additional sanctions relief Iran might receive as negotiators wrestled with differences such as how much nuclear fuel Iran could produce, how long the accord would last and how intrusive inspections would be, among other issues. |
| Secretary of State John Kerry raised the idea of extending the talks in a meeting Sunday night with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister. It was not clear whether a document detailing new points of convergence would be issued Monday in return for an extension in the talks. | Secretary of State John Kerry raised the idea of extending the talks in a meeting Sunday night with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister. It was not clear whether a document detailing new points of convergence would be issued Monday in return for an extension in the talks. |
| “Our focus remains on taking steps forward toward an agreement, but it’s only natural that just over 24 hours from the deadline, we are discussing a range of options,” said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. “An extension is one of those options. It should come as no surprise that we are also engaged in a discussion of the options with the Iranians.” | “Our focus remains on taking steps forward toward an agreement, but it’s only natural that just over 24 hours from the deadline, we are discussing a range of options,” said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. “An extension is one of those options. It should come as no surprise that we are also engaged in a discussion of the options with the Iranians.” |
| Earlier on Sunday, President Obama said that the gaps in the negotiations were still “significant.” | Earlier on Sunday, President Obama said that the gaps in the negotiations were still “significant.” |
| Mr. Obama appeared to rule out giving in to one of Iran’s central demands: that as part of any final deal, the United States and its partners lift, quickly and permanently, all the nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. “I think Iran would love to see the sanctions end immediately, and then to still have some avenues that might not be completely closed, and we can’t do that,” Mr. Obama said, referring to avenues for producing a nuclear weapon. | Mr. Obama appeared to rule out giving in to one of Iran’s central demands: that as part of any final deal, the United States and its partners lift, quickly and permanently, all the nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. “I think Iran would love to see the sanctions end immediately, and then to still have some avenues that might not be completely closed, and we can’t do that,” Mr. Obama said, referring to avenues for producing a nuclear weapon. |
| But he also held out hope that an agreement, if it could be struck, would change the nature of the relationship with Iran for the first time in more than three decades. | But he also held out hope that an agreement, if it could be struck, would change the nature of the relationship with Iran for the first time in more than three decades. |
| “What a deal would do,” he said, “is take a big piece of business off the table and perhaps begin a long process in which the relationship not just between Iran and us but the relationship between Iran and the world, and the region, begins to change,” Mr. Obama said Sunday in an interview on ABC. | “What a deal would do,” he said, “is take a big piece of business off the table and perhaps begin a long process in which the relationship not just between Iran and us but the relationship between Iran and the world, and the region, begins to change,” Mr. Obama said Sunday in an interview on ABC. |
| The decision of when and under what conditions to agree to a negotiating extension has been a highly delicate one for the Obama administration. It would like to lock in many areas of agreement that negotiators for the two sides have spent months drafting and which are now waiting for political decisions from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Mr. Obama. | The decision of when and under what conditions to agree to a negotiating extension has been a highly delicate one for the Obama administration. It would like to lock in many areas of agreement that negotiators for the two sides have spent months drafting and which are now waiting for political decisions from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Mr. Obama. |
| But given the failure to close the wide gap that remains, neither leader seems inclined to end the negotiations — or to declare failure. The Iranians have reportedly declined to agree to dismantle a significant number of their centrifuges — the machines that enrich uranium at supersonic speed — just as Mr. Obama has refused to end the sanctions by a specific date, until he can measure Iran’s compliance. | But given the failure to close the wide gap that remains, neither leader seems inclined to end the negotiations — or to declare failure. The Iranians have reportedly declined to agree to dismantle a significant number of their centrifuges — the machines that enrich uranium at supersonic speed — just as Mr. Obama has refused to end the sanctions by a specific date, until he can measure Iran’s compliance. |
| And other issues are in dispute. One is how many years an agreement would last before Iran would be free, like any other signer of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to develop as large a civilian nuclear infrastructure as it would like. Another is what kind of freedom inspectors would have to visit any location where they suspect nuclear-related work might be underway. | And other issues are in dispute. One is how many years an agreement would last before Iran would be free, like any other signer of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to develop as large a civilian nuclear infrastructure as it would like. Another is what kind of freedom inspectors would have to visit any location where they suspect nuclear-related work might be underway. |
| For weeks, the American team has sought to keep the pressure on the Iranians to make hard decisions in the talks by insisting that an extension was not on the table. “We are not talking about an extension,” Mr. Kerry insisted as recently as Thursday. “We are driving towards what we believe is the outline of an agreement that we think we can have.” | For weeks, the American team has sought to keep the pressure on the Iranians to make hard decisions in the talks by insisting that an extension was not on the table. “We are not talking about an extension,” Mr. Kerry insisted as recently as Thursday. “We are driving towards what we believe is the outline of an agreement that we think we can have.” |
| Republican and even some Democratic lawmakers have warned that they would press for additional sanctions if the American negotiators did not emerge from the latest round of talks with provisions that toughened the temporary agreement. That agreement freezes much of Iran’s nuclear program and is set to expire Monday evening. | Republican and even some Democratic lawmakers have warned that they would press for additional sanctions if the American negotiators did not emerge from the latest round of talks with provisions that toughened the temporary agreement. That agreement freezes much of Iran’s nuclear program and is set to expire Monday evening. |
| The Obama administration already agreed to one extension in July, which it justified on the grounds that sufficient progress had been made to warrant continuing the talks until Nov. 24, the anniversary of an agreement for a temporary accord that froze some of Iran’s advances and required Iran to dilute a stockpile of fuel that the West feared could quickly be converted to weapons use. | The Obama administration already agreed to one extension in July, which it justified on the grounds that sufficient progress had been made to warrant continuing the talks until Nov. 24, the anniversary of an agreement for a temporary accord that froze some of Iran’s advances and required Iran to dilute a stockpile of fuel that the West feared could quickly be converted to weapons use. |
| A breakdown in talks, American and Iranian officials seem to agree, is in neither side’s interest. | A breakdown in talks, American and Iranian officials seem to agree, is in neither side’s interest. |
| Any extension that might be agreed to would presumably keep in place the freeze on much of Iran’s nuclear program and could be cited by the White House to make the case to Congress against additional sanctions. It would also enable the United States to argue to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel — whom Mr. Kerry called on Saturday — that there is no need for military action because Iran’s nuclear threat is less than it was a year ago. | Any extension that might be agreed to would presumably keep in place the freeze on much of Iran’s nuclear program and could be cited by the White House to make the case to Congress against additional sanctions. It would also enable the United States to argue to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel — whom Mr. Kerry called on Saturday — that there is no need for military action because Iran’s nuclear threat is less than it was a year ago. |
| But the temporary accord was never envisioned to be permanent. And in Tehran, where the issue is whether negotiators can win an end to the economic sanctions, an extension would probably not allow Iran to sell more oil on international markets or resume normal banking relationships with the West. | But the temporary accord was never envisioned to be permanent. And in Tehran, where the issue is whether negotiators can win an end to the economic sanctions, an extension would probably not allow Iran to sell more oil on international markets or resume normal banking relationships with the West. |
| The key question is what form an extension might take. With American officials saying that their goal in the talks is to lengthen the “breakout” time Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon to at least a year, the best option for American officials would be to conclude a broad understanding on the main elements of a comprehensive accord and to thrash out the details over the next few months. | The key question is what form an extension might take. With American officials saying that their goal in the talks is to lengthen the “breakout” time Iran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon to at least a year, the best option for American officials would be to conclude a broad understanding on the main elements of a comprehensive accord and to thrash out the details over the next few months. |
| The option that would be the most difficult to sell would be a straight extension without any clear headway on the remaining stumbling blocks. In between are an array of possibilities, which may emerge only as the negotiators continue their work on Monday. | The option that would be the most difficult to sell would be a straight extension without any clear headway on the remaining stumbling blocks. In between are an array of possibilities, which may emerge only as the negotiators continue their work on Monday. |
| Mr. Kerry’s Sunday meeting with Mr. Zarif was the sixth time that he had met with Mr. Zarif alone or with Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s envoy to the talks, since Mr. Kerry arrived here Thursday. | Mr. Kerry’s Sunday meeting with Mr. Zarif was the sixth time that he had met with Mr. Zarif alone or with Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s envoy to the talks, since Mr. Kerry arrived here Thursday. |
| Mr. Kerry also rode to the airport here Sunday to talk with Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister. While Saudi Arabia is not involved in the talks, it has long been worried that an agreement might allow Iran to keep more of its nuclear infrastructure than Saudi Arabia is comfortable with. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, also flew here to join the talks. | Mr. Kerry also rode to the airport here Sunday to talk with Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister. While Saudi Arabia is not involved in the talks, it has long been worried that an agreement might allow Iran to keep more of its nuclear infrastructure than Saudi Arabia is comfortable with. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, also flew here to join the talks. |
| An Iranian negotiator, who was not named, was quoted by an Iranian news agency on Sunday as saying that a detailed and comprehensive agreement was no longer possible by the Monday deadline. | An Iranian negotiator, who was not named, was quoted by an Iranian news agency on Sunday as saying that a detailed and comprehensive agreement was no longer possible by the Monday deadline. |
| The Iranian held out the hope that a general understanding on the main elements of an agreement, such as the number of centrifuges and a plan for ending sanctions, might yet be possible, though there was nothing in his comments to indicate that Tehran was prepared to make the sort of concessions that the United States says are needed. | The Iranian held out the hope that a general understanding on the main elements of an agreement, such as the number of centrifuges and a plan for ending sanctions, might yet be possible, though there was nothing in his comments to indicate that Tehran was prepared to make the sort of concessions that the United States says are needed. |