As deadline nears, nuclear deal with Iran seems unlikely

Vienna • U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is warning of "serious gaps" in the talks about a nuclear deal with Iran, and if major differences persist, the possibility of extending past Monday's deadline is seeming more likely.

Discussions on going past that deadline have not begun between Iran and the U.S. — the lead players in negotiations that formally group six world powers on one side of the negotiating table and the Islamic Republic on the other.

One American official familiar with the talks said Saturday the U.S. has not wanted to prematurely raise the possibility of an extension because that could take pressure off the Iranians. But as the clock ticks toward the deadline, the official — who demanded anonymity — said discussion of an extension was inevitable.

The United States — backed by Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany — is seeking a deal that cuts, and puts long-term limits on, Iranian nuclear programs that could be used to make weapons. Iran says it does not want such arms but is negotiating to reduce sanctions imposed because of its nuclear activities.

In addition to debate over stockpiles of uranium gas that can be enriched to levels ranging from reactor fuel to the fissile core of nuclear arms and permissible numbers of centrifuges that do the enriching, Iran is eager for immediate and comprehensive sanctions relief. The U.S. is holding to a strict incremental timetable that would allow penalties to be quickly re-imposed in the event of Iranian non-compliance.

In addition to Kerry's note of pessimism Saturday about the talks, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the sides are "still far apart" on some questions.

High-level comings and goings since Friday also have seen British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stop by for talks with Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other participants in the negotiations.

Kerry's outlook on the talks jibed with comments from diplomats familiar with the discussions, who said prospects for a final agreement by deadline appeared slim.

Kerry — who has met repeatedly with Zarif since arriving Thursday — spoke by telephone on Saturday to Arab foreign ministers in the Gulf, whose countries fear Iran's potential ability to make nuclear arms, and with his Canadian and Turkish counterparts, the U.S. State Department said. He also talked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone.

Hopes of progress were briefly boosted Friday by reports that Zarif planned to fly to Tehran for additional consultations, which could have meant possible progress, suggesting that the Iranians need political approval from Tehran to move forward. Asked about the prospects of an agreement while taking an outside cigarette break from a meeting Saturday, Zarif shouted "Inshallah" ["God willing"] in Farsi.