Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the remarks in an interview with Japanese NHK television.
Araghchi leads the Iranian delegation in the Vienna talks on revitalizing the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) with P4+1 which consists of the remaining participants in the deal. The US delegation is not attending the negotiations directly as the previous US administration pulled their country out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and since then Washington is not considered a participant.
Iran has indicated that it is set to end its cooperation with the IAEA over nuclear inspections if no progress is made in the talks on the removal of US sanctions and other issues by late May.
Araghchi told an NHK correspondent that Iran hopes enough progress will be made so that there will be no need for an extension.
But he said that if needed, Iran will consider an extension at a proper time.
Last month, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said the agency may need to discuss the issue with Iran again if no agreement is reached among signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Araghchi and Grossi are believed to have discussed the issue when they met on Thursday at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
The top Iranian negotiator in the Vienna talks has already said that Iran will leave the talks if they take time and if it feels the other parties are killing time and seek protracted negotiations.
KI/PR
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