Earlier in the day, officials close to the talks had told Reuters that the talks might be extended from Monday until March due to sharp differences still existing between Iran and the West. However, on Friday night it looks as if the two sides are working hard to achieve not just an extension of JPOA, as they did in July, but agreeing on a framework agreement toward a comprehensive deal, a JPOA+, if you will.
“What we are all focused on now is trying to get the key principles of a deal agreed over the next 72 hours so that we can meet that important deadline,” British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told journalists in Vienna. (Al-Monitor, 21 November)
nobody needs a "framework" at this point.
ReplyDeletethe negotiations have gone on more for than enough time for all parties to understand the desires of all the other parties and for all issues to have been considered.
if there is a reasonable chance for a deal to be made at this time, then it will be glaringly obvious to the negotiators as to the identity of the issues preventing the deal.