Talks aimed at reviving Iran's nuclear pact with global powers were expected on Wednesday to adjourn for a week, with the remaining parties to the deal due to meet in the evening to sign off on the move, Reuters quoted two informed diplomats as saying.
The adjournment to Thursday, June 10, would leave only eight days to reach agreement before Iran's presidential election. Delegates say that while a deal is possible by then that timeline appears increasingly unlikely.
Formal meetings of the remaining parties - Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union - in a format known as the Joint Commission have punctuated and bookended indirect talks between Iran and the United States on both countries returning to full compliance with the 2015 deal, added the repot.
"A meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action will take place in Vienna today, Wednesday 02 June 2021," the European Union said in a statement, referring to the Iran nuclear deal by its official name.
The statement gave no time. One delegate said the meeting would be in the early evening and another said 7:30 p.m. (1730 GMT).
"The meeting of the Joint Commission of #JCPOA is postponed until late evening," the head of Russia's delegation, Mikhail Ulyanov, who is also ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, wrote on Twitter. He did not give a time.
Two diplomats said the talks, which are in their fifth round and began in April, were expected to adjourn for a week, resuming on Thursday, June 10.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Araghchi said the barriers to the revival of the deal are complicated but not insurmountable.
"Differences have reached a point where everyone believes these differences are not insolvable," Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV ahead of the meeting.
MA/PR