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                 Outcome Uncertain as Iran Deadline Approaches

   by Pamela Dockins

   Iran nuclear negotiators are shifting into high gear, with the June
   30th deadline just two days away.

   On Sunday, a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State John Kerry held
   high-level talks with an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister
   Mohamad Javad Zarif.

   Kerry is also meeting with representatives from the other countries
   that comprise the so-called P5+1, the five permanent members of the
   U.N. Security Council and Germany.

   In recent days, some negotiators have expressed a willingness to work a
   few days beyond June 30 if the additional time is needed to secure an
   agreement that provides Iran sanctions relief while assuring world
   powers that Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons has been
   restricted.

   Iranian officials said Sunday that Zarif would return to Tehran for 24
   hours of consultations ahead of the deadline. They added that talks
   could extend past June 30.

   ''EU High Representative Federica Mogherini said negotiators have some
   flexibility, when it came to time.

   In comments to reporters in Vienna, on Sunday, she said if a few more
   days were needed, negotiators could take them.

   She said the talks had "always been tough" but that negotiators could
   reach an agreement if there is "strong political will."

   On Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry said negotiators still
   needed to resolve some "very tough issues."

   Watch: VOA's Pam Dockins report from Vienna

   ''Tough issues unresolved

   French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Saturday that three
   conditions still needed to be worked out to ensure a successful
   agreement.

   He said those conditions are Iran's acceptance of rigorous inspections
   of suspected nuclear sites, lasting limits on the country's research
   and development capacity and a mechanism to quickly re-impose sanctions
   on Iran if the country violates terms of an agreement.

   Kerry met with Fabius later Saturday after the two held separate talks
   with Zarif.

   ''

   ''A senior State Department official said Kerry and Fabius spoke for
   about an hour. He said Kerry offered condolences on the terrorist
   attack Friday in France, and they discussed the attacks in Tunisia and
   Kuwait. He said they spent the rest of their time on the Iran talks.

   In April, Iran and the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain
   and Germany agreed on a plan that was supposed to be the foundation for
   a final agreement that provided Iran sanctions relief while restricting
   Tehran's ability to make nuclear weapons.

   A top Western diplomat, however, said major differences remained
   unresolved.

   The diplomat, who spoke to reporters in Vienna on the condition of
   anonymity, said the most difficult issues must be worked out in the
   coming days, including U.N. inspections of Iran's sites, transparency,
   sanctions and the possible military dimensions of Iran's atomic
   program.

   Questions about deadline

   Some diplomats say the real deadline for an agreement is not June 30
   but July 9. After that day, a mandatory congressional review period
   would extend from 30 to 60 days.

   ''It would make sense for negotiators to work past June 30, if need be,
   to resolve outstanding issues, said analyst Emanuele Ottolenghi of
   the[1] Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

   "It certainly makes sense if the pressure to meet the deadline is going
   to sort of bring the quality of the agreement into question," he said.

   Ottolenghi said, however, that previous extensions in the Iran nuclear
   talks had resulted in more concessions in favor of the Iranian side.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-deadline-approaches-outcome-unce
   rtain/2840388.html

References

   1. http://www.defenddemocracy.org/
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/iran-deadline-approaches-outcome-uncertain/2840388.html