Three weeks remain to reach nuclear pact with Iran

New York Times : Despite lengthy negotiations, no agreement has yet been reached between Iran and the P5 + 1 nations (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) concerning Iran’s nuclear program. For the past decade Iran’s nuclear activity has been a source of international contention, and as a result, economic sanctions have been imposed against the country. Iranian officials maintain that the nuclear facilities are for purely peaceful purposes but have balked at allowing inspections or other forms of monitoring. In recent months all parties have been working to resolve the problem and lift the sanctions. However, with less than three weeks left to reach a final agreement, two of the principal negotiators, US secretary of state John Kerry and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, are already blaming each other if the talks collapse. Because of the substantial differences that must be overcome, the talks could be extended.