FM: Iran, Powers Trying to End Deadlock, Reach Comprehensive Deal

(FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined efforts by his team of negotiators and their counterparts in the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) to end the artificial deadlock created on the way of a final agreement between the two sides.

"We are striving to end this artificial deadlock which is based on an illogical framework and reach a comprehensive agreement," Zarif told reporters in Vienna on Tuesday.

Stressing that he has had good exchanges of views with the G5+1 representatives during this round of talks, he said, "Of course, we still need serious discussions at the level of the political directors."

The sixth round of talks between Tehran and the G5+1 headed by Zarif and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton officially started in Vienna on July 3 and is still continuing in the Austrian capital with both sides describing the negotiations as hard, but constructive and positive.

On Saturday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said the seven nations have made over 60% progress in drafting the text of a final deal, although wide differences have still remained over the contents of the agreement.

"We have made almost good progress in the text and maybe 60% to 65% of the text has been agreed, but this doesn’t mean that we have made progress in the contents," Araqchi said in Vienna.

"We have not yet reached a major agreement on the key content issues," he added.

Araqchi also underlined Iran's determination to continue the negotiations to restore all its rights, and said, "We won't withdraw from our positions."