​Negotiators at the Vienna talks on Iran's nuclear program are close to an agreement, but have run into problems concerning implementation. The main sticking points are not singular problems, but linked issues that to each party appear to be incompatible. Iranian negotiators have indicated a willingness to talk as long as necessary as long as there is progress and an agreement appears to be within reach.

An Iranian official source who requested anonymity told Al-Monitor, “July 9 doesn’t mean anything to Iran. It’s an American problem that should be solved by the Americans.” He explained that Iran’s main problem is getting the sanctions lifted and asserted that Tehran would exert as much effort as possible to obtain a satisfactory resolution. He reiterated, “Our strategy is not bound by a time limit. It’s either a good deal, or we leave, but we won’t leave until after we arrive at the conclusion that a deal is impossible.”

The negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1), originally scheduled to end June 30, are now continuing beyond their extended deadline of July 7. A Russian diplomat told Al-Monitor that the talks had become tense hours before the deadline.

“On one main issue, a Western minister looked at [Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad] Zarif and said he would be withdrawing. Zarif stood up and told him, ‘If you want to withdraw just leave, but learn not to threaten an Iranian,’” the diplomat said. “Silence fell around the room until [Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov added, ‘And a Russian.’”