Iran nuclear talks: 'Progress made' despite hold-ups, says US Published duration 14 July 2015 Related Topics Iran nuclear deal

image copyright Reuters image caption Diplomats say that hopes for a deal oscillated throughout Monday

Talks in Vienna aimed at reaching a deal on Iran's nuclear programme have made progress but some issues remain unresolved, the White House has said.

Six world powers including the US, Russia and the UK have been negotiating with Iran about scaling down its nuclear activities.

It is hoped Iran will do so in return for the lifting of some sanctions.

The EU announced a "final plenary" meeting at 08:30 GMT on Tuesday, to be followed by a news conference.

Reuters cited two unnamed Iranian diplomats early on Tuesday as saying a deal had been reached.

"All the hard work has paid off and we sealed a deal. God bless our people," it quoted one of the diplomats as saying.

Hopes of a breakthrough rose and then receded on Monday.

image copyright AP image caption Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke to reporters while taking a break from the negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that while a breakthrough was imminent, there would be no deal before Tuesday.

However, the White House cautioned that significant issues remained unresolved and that Iran still had some tough decisions to make.

"They're not going to sign an agreement until all of our concerns have been addressed. And as long as they continue to make progress in doing that, then the talks will, will continue," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

The so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany - want Iran to scale back its sensitive nuclear activities to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon.

Iran, which wants crippling international sanctions lifted, has always insisted that its nuclear work is peaceful.

'Tired and overworked'

The BBC's James Robbins in Vienna says the clocks are running exceedingly slowly in the negotiations.

All the key ministers seem close to exhaustion, sending out conflicting signals on the timing of an agreement, our correspondent adds.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that no deal should be expected to be perfect.

"The conditions are already in place for a good agreement. We believe there cannot and should not be a further delay in the negotiations," he said.

media caption Iran has the world's fourth largest crude oil reserves: 150 billion barrels

Could US Congress torpedo a deal?

It has 60 days to review any agreement

During that time, President Barack Obama cannot lift the sanctions Congress has imposed on Iran

Congress can reject the deal, and keep the sanctions in place, but Mr Obama can veto that

Congress would need a two-thirds majority to overturn the veto, which is unlikely

'Certain issues'

On Monday morning, negotiators were reported to be putting the finishing touches to a 100-page accord that included five technical annexes and planned to wrap up the negotiations by midnight, the latest in a series of self-imposed deadlines.

image copyright AFP image caption The key ministers have been sending out conflicting signals on the timing of an agreement

But Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, later conceded that "certain issues" remained unresolved.

Diplomats told the Associated Press that they included the International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation into the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme, as well as Iranian demands that a UN arms embargo be lifted and that its nuclear activities not be described as illegal in any UN Security Council resolution approving the deal.

If a long-term agreement is reached, it still faces a tough ride through the US Congress, which could reject it and leave US sanctions against Iran in place.