Iran says some progress has been reached in talks with the US, but a deal “is not imminent”.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai’s remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an agreement could possibly be reached on Monday.
“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion,” Baqai said in Tehran on Monday. “But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent – no-one can make such a claim.”
According to US media, the mooted deal is not a final settlement – instead it leaves some of the thorniest issues to be negotiated later, including the scope and timing of Iranian sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and Washington’s demands for Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions.
