Top US-Iranian technicians meet; nuke talks in tough phase

VIENNA — Top nuclear experts from Iran and the United States huddled Wednesday on disputes that have pushed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme into overtime. Some foreign ministers were returning to Vienna later in the day, but others were staying away, reflecting the distance still to go for a deal.

As US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz met with Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi, Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamad Javad Zarif took a breather from their rounds of bilateral meetings — their first break since the current round began nearly two weeks ago.

Kerry and Zarif are taking the lead in the seven-nation talks and had spoken of progress since their first meeting Saturday, adding to hopes that the original June 30 deadline would be met. But disputes over the length and kinds of limits on Tehran's nuclear programme and the timing for lifting economic penalties persisted, forcing negotiators to extend, first to Tuesday and then to Friday.

Diplomats on Tuesday said that most technical questions had been agreed on. But the fact that the two top nuclear experts were meeting Wednesday indicated problems remained that only technicians could solve.

Kerry and Zarif had been joined over the past few days by the foreign ministers of the other nations at the table — Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. That had led to expectations that a deal could be near and awaiting a formal announcement.

But the talks broke through their second deadline in a week on Tuesday, raising new questions about the ability of world powers to cut off all Iranian pathways to nuclear weapons through diplomacy and ways of lifting sanctions on Iran. Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief, spoke of "tense" moments and the State Department extended the current interim nuclear arrangement with Tehran through Friday.

Ministers of the other nations at the table had joined Kerry and Zarif over the past few days in hopes their added diplomatic weight would clinch agreement.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was expected back later Wednesday along with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi of China have announced no immediate plans to return, suggesting negotiators were still not close to a deal.

New difficulties also have surfaced over the past few days. Iran is pushing for an end to a UN arms embargo on the country but Washington opposes that demand.

A senior US official also said the US is insisting that any new UN Security Council resolution pertaining to Iran retain an arms ban and ballistic missile restrictions. The official demanded anonymity, in line with State Department custom.