U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday that “we need to close … gaps” with Iran in talks about its nuclear program, adding that those negotiating with Iranian officials “are deeply committed to ensuring that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.”
Iran faces a March 24 deadline to reach a deal about its nuclear program. Several interim agreements have been made in recent months, though a long-term pact so far has been elusive.
Speaking in Paris alongside French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Kerry said progress has been made “but there remain gaps, divergences.”
He acknowledged “the days are ticking by,” but that doesn’t mean there’s an urgent rush to reach an agreement.
“We have to get the right deal,” the top U.S. diplomat said.
Kerry said one thing all members of the P5+1 group — which consists of the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France, plus Germany — agree on is that it’s imperative Iran doesn’t develop nuclear arms.
Officials in Tehran have publicly insisted they want a nuclear program for energy purposes, not to create atomic weaponry.
“We will find out whether or not … Iran’s prepared to take the steps to answer the questions that the world has a right to get answers to,” Kerry said.