Iran nuclear deadline delayed

Iran and six major powers failed on Monday to resolve 12 months of talks on Tehran's nuclear ambitions, but gave themselves another seven months to overcome their outstanding differences and forge a deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on state television after Monday's announcement, saying he remained confident that an agreement would be reached.

"This path of negotiation will reach a final agreement. Most of the gaps have been removed," he said, also elaborating on the negotiating process.

"One phase is about the behind-the-curtain issues, where ideas are made closer and talks happen. In this phase there has been good progress," Rouhani said. "The other phase is when those agreements are put on paper and turn into a final, ultimate deal in writing. We still have some distance from this second phase."

Kerry: 'Substantial progress'

After a frenzied final push in talks between the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany (the "P5+1") and Iran to meet the Monday deadline, US Secretary of State John Kerry offered a mixed appraisal of progress so far.

"These talks aren't going to suddenly get easier just because we extend them. They are tough. The have been tough and they are going to stay tough," he told a news conference. "But in these last days in Vienna we have made real and substantial progress and we have seen new ideas surface. And that is why we are jointly, the P5+1 six nations and Iran, extending these talks for seven months." However, Kerry also cautioned that "significant disagreements" remained in the process.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed the comments about "substantial progress," and the Kremlin also announced on Monday evening that Rouhani and President Vladimir Putin had spoken about recent developments by phone.

The new target for the talks is to strike an outline deal by March and then to nail down a full technical accord by July 1, officials said. Monday's former deadline was in itself the product of a delay, after the initial goal for the current round of talks, a June accord, did not materialize.

"Despite good conditions, despite a very constructive negotiating atmosphere, we didn't get as far as we would have wished," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said of the talks, held at International Atomic Energy Agency's Vienna headquarters.

Netanyahu: No deal better than a bad deal

Western powers are seeking a deal with Iran whereby Tehran agrees to curb parts of its nuclear program in exchange for a softening of international sanctions. Iran says its nuclear program is for power generation and medical use only, but Israel and some other countries have said Tehran is really seeking atomic weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his approval on the BBC as it became apparent that Monday's deadline would likely be missed, saying: "No deal is better than a bad deal."

The Reuters news agency quoted one diplomat on condition of anonymity who appeared pessimistic about the prospects for an agreement seven months from now. Specific details of the talks have not been released publicly.

"It's been 10 years that proposals and ideas have been put forward," he told Reuters. "There's nothing left. It's essentially a side issue now. The Iranians are not moving. It is a political choice."

It was not immediately clear on Monday where the talks might continue, with Oman one of the mooted venues for a new round scheduled for December.

msh/jr (AFP, AP, Reuters)