Iran talks set to miss second deadline in Vienna

From left, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, and U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, line up im this, April 2, 2015 file photo. AP

VIENNA, Austria – World powers were set Tuesday to miss yet another deadline to nail down an elusive nuclear deal ending a 13-year standoff with Iran, despite hours of difficult top-level negotiations.

In a sign of how complex the negotiations have become, foreign ministers met deep into the night Monday grappling with the toughest remaining issues which have so far thwarted a deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear program.

In what has become a high-stakes game of diplomatic poker, the ministers met twice Monday with the Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for a total of almost three hours.

And even though he was seen smiling broadly when cameras were allowed a quick glimpse of the talks, there was little immediate sign of an end to the deadlock.

After busting through an initial June 30 deadline, the latest round of negotiations looked set to power beyond Tuesday’s new target date.

Asked whether Tuesday’s deadline may slip, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said: “I would say that it’s certainly possible.”