Obama: Significant 'gaps' in Iran talks
The Obama administration is focused on Iran this week, though there are suggestions there will be a delay of Monday's deadline for talks on Tehran's nuclear program.
President Obama told ABC's This Week that while an interim deal reached last year has turned out well, there are significant gaps in talks for a long-term agreement.
The existing interim deal "has definitely stopped Iran's nuclear program from advancing ... so it's been successful," Obama told This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos. "Now the question is, can we get to a more permanent deal? And the gaps are still significant."
The Iranian Students News Agency ISNA reported Sunday that it is not possible to reach a nuclear agreement by the Monday deadline.
"Considering the short time left until the deadline and number of issues that needed to be discussed and resolved, it is impossible to reach a final and comprehensive deal by Nov. 24," ISNA quoted an unnamed member of Iran's negotiating team in Vienna as saying, reports Reuters.
The person added: "The issue of extension of the talks is an option on the table and we will start discussing it if no deal is reached by Sunday night."
The United States and its allies are offering to reduce sanctions on Iran if it agrees to forgo the means to make nuclear weapons.
Members of Congress from both parties have said they will seek to block what they consider a bad deal, including the imposition of even more sanctions on Iran if necessary. The government of Israel has also expressed concern about a deal with Iran.
Secretary of State John Kerry is in Vienna for negotiations involving Iran.
In his ABC interview, Obama said he is "confident that if we reach a deal that is verifiable and ensures that Iran does not have breakout capacity, that not only can I persuade Congress, but I can persuade the American people that it's the right thing to do."
The goal, the president said, is "to solve a particular problem here, which is making sure Iran doesn't trigger a nuclear arms race, can't threaten the United States, can't threaten allies like Israel."
ABC conducted the interview Friday, and broadcast it Sunday.
"The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China began a final round of talks with Iran on Tuesday, looking to clinch a pact under which Tehran would curb its nuclear work in exchange for lifting economically crippling sanctions.
"Iran rejects Western allegations that it has been seeking to develop a nuclear bomb capability.
"Iranian and western diplomats close to the negotiations in Vienna told Reuters the two sides remained deadlocked on the key issues of Iran's uranium enrichment capacity and the lifting of the sanctions."