The United States does not rule out the possibility of extending nuclear talks with Iran after its scheduled deadline due on Tuesday 7 July, State Department spokesman John Kirby has told reporters in Washington. His comment was in response to a question about the possibility of extending the negotiations again. “Is it possible?” he asked rhetorically. “Sure, but I can’t tell you it’s a certainty.”
Kirby explained that Tuesday was not a deadline. “It was an extension of basically seven days of the parameters” of a 2 April framework accord struck in Lausanne, he explained. “The negotiating teams are working on this and their focus is on trying to complete that work satisfactorily, not on whether there will necessarily be another extension,” Kirby added.
The G5+1 countries — Britain, China, France, the US, Russia and Germany — decided last week to extend the talks deadline from 30 June to 7 July, citing disagreements on topics related to inspections and the sanctions imposed on Iran.