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New interim deal in Iran nuclear talks possible — Western source

According to the source, this could be a document where the sides would state their willingness to resolve the more-than-decade-long nuclear stand-off over Iran’s atomic activities

VIENNA, November 19. /TASS/. Iran and six major powers will probably settle for another interim agreement as talks over Tehran’s nuclear program continue in Vienna this week, a Western diplomatic source said on Wednesday.

“It is quite possible that the sides will reach a new, so-called interim, agreement in the end. Everyone understands it,” the source said, adding that this could be a document where the sides would state their willingness to resolve the more-than-decade-long nuclear stand-off over Iran’s atomic activities.

Iran and the powers — the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia reached an interim deal last November under which Tehran received limited sanctions relief in exchange for halting the production of medium enriched uranium. That six-month accord took effect early this year and was extended by four months in July. Despite this, reaching a long-term agreement before a new deadline of November 24 no longer appears possible, and an extension is the most likely scenario.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would arrive in Vienna, depending on whether the parties succeeded in finding a compromise and at least provided a framework for long-term settlement, which would be then added by concrete elements.

Ryabkov stressed that Russia would not bring the talks between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group of world powers to a ministerial level if no results are guaranteed.