Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday backed an extension of his country’s nuclear negotiations with world powers underway in Vienna, saying it would be in the “interest of all” if the talks went on past their planned Sunday’s deadline.
The talks aim at a deal that curbs Iran’s atomic program in exchange for an end to the nuclear-related sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Negotiators have been holed up for weeks working on a plan to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon but still letting it develop a peaceful nuclear energy program.
Facing stubborn disputes on the terms of a deal and with differences unlikely to be bridged by the deadline, both Iran and the six world powers — the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany — could approve an extension. The talks could adjourn for two days before the informal deadline.
Rouhani said Iran wants the talks to be extended.
“What we seek in the talks is a win-win situation that would be in the interest of all,” Rouhani said, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said that progress has been made in several areas in the negotiations, but that there are “still significant gaps” and more work to do to reach a deal to get Iran to curb its nuclear program.
Obama said he will consult with Congress and allies to determine whether negotiations need to be extended.
The main dispute in the talks now is over uranium enrichment, and the number of centrifuges Tehran would be allowed to keep under the deal.
Iran has shown flexibility, but “will not withdraw an iota” from its rights to peaceful nuclear enrichment, Rouhani said.
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