Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Vienna

Talks among officials from world powers on curbing Iran’s controversial nuclear program resumed in Vienna on Wednesday, and the Iranian delegation will join the negotiations on Thursday, U.S. and European Union officials said.

U.S. negotiator Wendy Sherman and Helga Schmid, the EU’s political director, were part of the meetings on Wednesday in the latest round of talks, which are in their final month before a June 30 deadline for a deal with Iran.

Questions arose over whether a deal could be reached on time after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg a day after talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Geneva over the weekend.

Kerry has begun physical therapy as he recovers from surgery to his broken leg but his return to work in Washington remains unclear.

The sides met for six hours on Saturday trying to overcome obstacles to a final nuclear agreement. Diplomats have said that inspections of Iranian military sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. watchdog, and access to Iran’s nuclear scientists are two of the most contentious issues being addressed in current talks.

Iran is pushing for all sanctions to be lifted once a deal is done.

This article appeared in print on page 2 of the June 4th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.