Ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and world powers will likely be extended beyond the July 20 deadline, according to Agence France Presse Tuesday.
"As it's highly improbable that we will finalize in Vienna before the weekend, it is highly probable that there will be a wish to continue to negotiate in the coming months," a Western diplomat told AFP on the condition of anonymity.
The so-called P5+1 comprised of Germany, the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China, has been meeting with a delegation from Iran in Vienna over the past days in an attempt to broker a final draft agreement for Tehran's nuclear program ahead of the self-imposed July 20 deadline.
However, with major issues still on the table for discussion, and with certain countries still divided over select stipulations in the draft agreement, the diplomat source informed AFP that such talks would have to continue for months, not weeks, before a deal could be finalized.
The talks are designed to finalize a deal that builds upon the interim agreement reached last November between the P5+1 and Iran on the latter's nuclear program.
