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Iranian negotiators determined to reach nuclear deal

Iranian diplomats have said they will continue talking until an agreement is reached or it becomes absolutely clear that one is not possible.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (C), Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi and Hossein Fereydoon (R), brother and close aide to President Hassan Rouhani meet with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (not pictured) at a hotel in Vienna, Austria July 3, 2015. A year and half of nuclear talks between Iran and major powers were creeping towards the finish line on Friday as negotiators wrestled with sticking points including questions about Tehran's past atomic research.  R

​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.”

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