Continued Negotiations Towards a 'Political Agreement'; 'One-Year Extension Likely'

Hana Kavyani, a reporter for Radio Farda in Vienna, reports that achieving a comprehensive and final agreement on Iran's nuclear file by December 3 has practically become impossible, and the parties are now continuing their discussions to reach a 'political agreement on the generalities.' Meanwhile, on Sunday, December 2, the French news agency reported, citing 'an Iranian source' in Vienna, that if the negotiations are unsuccessful by the December 3 deadline, the Islamic Republic is prepared to extend the negotiations for another six months to a year. On the same day, 'a source close to the negotiations' also mentioned this in an interview with the Russian news agency Interfax. However, a senior member of the Iranian negotiating team told the Radio Farda correspondent that this team has not yet discussed extending negotiations with the world powers. Previously, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), a member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team assessed reaching a 'comprehensive and final agreement' by December 3 as 'impossible' and added: 'If we do not reach a political understanding and general agreement by Sunday night [December 2] in Vienna, the option of extending the Geneva agreement will be on the table.' Kavyani's report indicates that Iran, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Russia, and China have prepared part of the draft of the final comprehensive agreement, which includes the generalities of this agreement, during numerous expert discussions over the past year. This Iranian negotiator told Radio Farda that the Islamic Republic and the 1+5 are now seeking to reach a political agreement that paves the way for completing this draft, which will lead to a comprehensive and final agreement. The Iranian diplomat added that 'a few days to a few weeks' will be needed to complete this draft, provided a 'political agreement' is reached. 'The dimensions of the uranium enrichment program, the number of centrifuges and the timeline of activities, how to lift sanctions, and how various nuclear facilities in Fordow, Arak, etc., will operate,' are generalities that, according to Radio Farda's correspondent in Vienna, Iran and the 1+5 must first agree on before they can continue discussions to examine and determine how to implement them. Whispers about Iran's readiness to extend nuclear negotiations with world powers come as Islamic Republic negotiators had previously stated that Tehran is not seeking an extension of the negotiation deadline. According to Reuters, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to meet with his Saudi counterpart on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in the nuclear negotiations with Iran. Additionally, the foreign ministers of Russia, France, and the U.K. are expected to arrive in Vienna on Sunday for the nuclear negotiations. On Sunday evening, Kerry will attend a working lunch hosted by his British counterpart, which will also include the foreign ministers of France and Germany as well as Catherine Ashton. According to a report sent by Radio Farda's correspondent in Vienna, Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, has also announced that he will join the discussions on Monday morning if he sees signs of a potential political agreement between Iran and the 1+5 group.