Western Powers Agree to Talks With Iran on Extension of Negotiations

Talks to Extend Deadline Need to Be Finished by Weekend

The ongoing P5+1 nuclear talks with Iran appear to have given up for the time being on reaching a final nuclear settlement, with the realization that there simply isn’t enough time to make such a pact by July 20, the current deadline.

Instead, officials are in intense negotiations on whether or not they can extend negotiations beyond July 20. Frustratingly, the July 20 deadly applies to the extension talks as well.

Iran has already expressed support for an extension of the deadline, and while US officials were previously reluctant to concede it was even a possibility, with only four days left officials are conceding that they need to consider it.

Officials say they hope to have the talks wrapped up by the weekend, butalso say that “a lot needs to happen between now and then,” suggesting they’re also playing deadline hardball on whether or not to stop playing deadline hardball.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.