(JTA) — Talks to reach a nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers may be extended beyond the stated June 30 deadline, Iran’s chief negotiator said.
Iranian senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi told Iran’s state TV that he is not in a hurry to complete the negotiations, Reuters reported Wednesday.
“The talks are serious, complicated and detailed. The pace of talks is slow as we have entered final stages,” Araqchi said from Vienna, where talks began on Wednesday. “We are not bound to a specific time,” he added. “We want a good deal that covers our demands.”
France’s ambassador to the United States, Gerard Araud, told Reuters on Tuesday that the deal probably would not be completed by June 30 due to technical details that would take a few more weeks to iron out.
A framework agreement was signed by Iran and the world powers— United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China— on April 2 with the goal of completing a final agreement by June 30.
Israel has roundly criticized the deal, and both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have passed bills requiring congressional review of any nuclear deal with Iran.
