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U.S. won’t consider Iran nuclear talks extension

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The United States will not consider an extension of talks with the Iranian regime for reaching an agreement on curbing Tehran’s nuclear program.

“We’re not contemplating any extension beyond June 30,” State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said at a news briefing.

Rathke said the United States believes the world powers working with Tehran can achieve their goal of reaching an agreement by the self-imposed deadline, Reuters reported.

This is while, France’s ambassador in Washington said on Tuesday world powers and Iran will probably miss an end-of-June deadline for a comprehensive nuclear agreement.

Gerard Araud says it’s “very likely” there will be no deal in the next five weeks, or even afterward.

He says much technical work remains, meaning any understanding reached could just be “fuzzy air.”

“Even if a deal were reached, there would be no relief of sanctions before the end of 2015, Germany’s ambassador to the US, Peter Wittig, said. “It’s not yet in the bag,” added British Ambassador Peter Westmacott.

The diplomats spoke Tuesday at an Atlantic Council event alongside the British and German ambassadors to the U.S.
The three European countries are negotiating alongside the U.S., Russia and China.

The main issues blocking the way to a final agreement between the US-led world powers and Tehran remain the details of international inspections of nuclear technology facilities in iran, and the timing of sanctions relief, the Los Angeles Times reported.