(JTA) — The Iran nuclear talks have been extended again to allow negotiators time to reach a final deal.
The talks between Iran and six world powers will be extended through Friday, Marie Harf, a State Department strategic expert attending the talks in Vienna, announced Tuesday. The deadline originally had been extended to Tuesday from June 30.
“We are taking these negotiations day to day,” Harf said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will remain in the Austrian capital to continue the negotiations, she said.
“This work is highly technical and high stakes for all of the countries involved,” Harf said. “We’re frankly more concerned about the quality of the deal than we are about the clock, though we also know that difficult decisions won’t get any easier with time — that is why we are continuing to negotiate.”
Frederica Mogherini, the foreign policy chief for the European Union, also acknowledged Tuesday that the negotiations would take a couple more days, saying that they have entered “a difficult and sensitive” phase.
A deal would exchange sanctions relief for guarantees that Iran is not advancing toward a nuclear weapon.
Israel objects to the emerging deal, saying its terms will leave Iran a nuclear threshold state and increase its ability to disrupt the region.
