Kerry Says Won't be 'Rushed' into Iran Deal, Urges 'Tough Decisions'
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that major world powers would not be "rushed" into a nuclear deal with Iran, adding he was prepared to walk away if "tough decisions" are not made soon.
Speaking on the eve of a deadline to present a deal to the U.S. Congress, Kerry told reporters that because "the stakes are very, very high, we will not rush and we will not be rushed."
"We're here because we believe we're making real progress toward a comprehensive deal. But as I have said many times, and as I discussed with President (Barack) Obama last night, we are not going to sit at the negotiating table forever," Kerry said.
"If the tough decisions don't get made, we are absolutely prepared to call an end to this process."
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, announcing he would stay in the Austrian capital Thursday night to continue the talks, said meanwhile that problems remain.
"Things are however going in the right directions. Under the circumstances I have decided to stay tonight and tomorrow," Fabius told reporters.
"I hope that we are going to manage the final meters (yards), but there is still work to do. In a marathon the final 100 meters are the hardest," Fabius said.
The mooted deal between Iran and the P5+1 group -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- is aimed at ending a 13-year standoff by curbing Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
If the US Congress does not receive the text by early Friday morning Vienna time -- midnight in Washington -- it will likely delay its implementation by doubling the review period to 60 days.
But an Iranian official insisted to AFP: "For us, no date is sacred if it means sacrificing a good accord."
And Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter shortly after Kerry's statement: "We're working hard, but not rushed, to get the job done."
Later he shouted to reporters from the balcony of the Coburg hotel where the talks were being held: "We will stay as long as necessary."
Two deadlines have already been missed during this round of negotiations alone which have now stretched into their 13th day.
Diplomats from various delegations ruled out a deal by the end of Thursday, but when asked whether an accord would be possible Friday or Saturday, one Iranian official told AFP: "God only knows."
With the talks stuck, Fabius rejoined Kerry as well as his German and British counterparts early Thursday, alongside Chinese and Russian officials, to plot a strategy forward. Kerry also met briefly with Zarif.
- Spanner in the works -
All sides say huge progress has been made in the past days of negotiations -- the final stage of marathon talks first launched in September 2013.
Most of the final text is already written, along with most of five technical annexes.
Some of the thorniest issues such as a time frame for lifting sanctions, a U.N. probe into allegations that Iran in the past sought to develop nuclear weapons, also appear close to resolution.
But Iran's demand that a U.N. arms embargo be lifted has thrown a spanner in the works. Western nations have balked at the idea, with Tehran still accused of fomenting violence in the Middle East.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was Thursday in the Russian city of Ufa at a summit with emerging economies, threw Moscow's weight behind Tehran on the issue.
"We are in favor of lifting the embargo as soon as possible and will support a decision made by Iran's negotiators," Lavrov told reporters.
The U.N. Security Council arms embargo had been imposed to force Iran to negotiate, a goal that had "long been reached," he stressed.
Resuming arms deliveries would help Iran combat terrorism and radicals from the Islamic State group, he added.
There were no "insurmountable problems" left to tackle at the talks, unless somebody tried to deliberately stall the negotiations, Lavrov insisted.
Kerry late Wednesday held a long video conference with Obama to review progress so far, after the American leader reportedly told senators earlier that the chances of an accord were "less than 50-50."
Source: Agence France Presse
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