Ministers back to Vienna for final Iran N-deal push

Foreign ministers from major powers were expected back in Vienna on Sunday seeking to score a huge diplomatic success by nailing down a nuclear deal with Iran after almost two years of intense effort.

Ahead of Tuesday’s final deadline, there were signs that inside the neoclassical palace-turned-hotel hosting the past eight days of talks by armies of technical and legal experts, the end may be in sight. 

“Extending the talks is not an option for anyone... We are trying to finish the job,” Iran’s lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi told Iranian TV late yesterday, saying there was a “positive atmosphere”. 

But he added: “If we reach an agreement that respects our red lines then there will be a deal. <g data-gr-id="15">Otherwise</g> we prefer to return home to Tehran empty-handed.” 

Diplomats said that on one of the thorniest issues - sanctions relief for Iran - a compromise may have been worked out, at least among the experts thrashing out the complex final accord. “There are still differences,” an Iranian official insisted, <g data-gr-id="14">however,</g> while a Western diplomat said that on UN sanctions - as opposed to EU and US ones - there was “no agreement yet”.