MOSCOW, November 23 (Sputnik) — Iran considers extending nuclear talks with six powers by up to one year if a comprehensive agreement is not signed by November 24 deadline, an Iranian source said Sunday.
"We are still focused on agreeing to a kind of political agreement… But if between now and this afternoon or this evening we don't get there… we consider an extension of the Geneva accord. That could be for a period of six months or a year," the source told AFP.
"We must absolutely avoid a climate of confrontation with escalation from one side and the other," the source added.
The final round of talks on the Iranian nuclear issue between Tehran and the P5+1 group of international negotiators, which comprises Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany, began in Vienna on Tuesday.
During talks in Geneva in November 2013, the P5+1 group agreed to reach a long-term comprehensive agreement with Tehran by July 2014, guaranteeing the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program. The deadline for the deal was later extended to November 24.
The West has been accusing Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran has denied these claims, stressing that its nuclear development is for civilian purposes only, such as meeting the country's growing energy needs.
