The deadline to finalize a deal on Iran’s nuclear program has been extended from July 7 to July 10, following a last bout of talks which failed to resolve “very very very tough [issues],” in the words of one diplomat.

This is the fourth time that the deadline has been extended in six-party talks with Iran on its nuclear program. There still seems to be some disagreement with regards to the timeline for reaching a final deal. The Iranian camp has stressed that the process is open-ended, but US negotiators are pushing for a July 10 judgement day. Urgency on the US side no doubt stems from the fact that if a deal is sent to Congress before July 10, it will be subject to a 30-day review process rather than the 60-day process over the summer.

Analysis

Despite the optimism that reigned when the framework for a deal was agreed on in April, there still seems to be a few sticking points keeping a final deal from being agreed upon. Sources say that the disagreements pertain to the lifting of the arms embargo, future civilian nuclear research, and the timing of sanction relief.