Kerry: Iran nuke talks ‘could go either way’

Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that ongoing talks over Iran’s nuclear program are hovering between success and failure.

“At this point, negotiations could go either way,” Kerry said, according to media reports.

“We have difficult issues to resolve,” he told reporters in Vienna.

“If hard choices get made in the next couple of days and made quickly, we could get an agreement this week,” Kerry added. “But if they are not made, we will not.”

{mosads}Kerry’s remarks come as the U.S. and its allies are racing to meet a final deadline on Tuesday for a lasting accord.

Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia are aiding the U.S. in the diplomatic wrangling with Iran over its nuclear energy program.

Reports emerged on Saturday morning that both sides had tentatively resolved issues over economic sanctions relief.

Other concerns include what access Iran grants atomic energy inspectors and how much of its military work on nuclear weapons is revealed publicly.

President Obama is hoping Iran will slow or stop its pursuit of a nuclear arsenal in exchange for lifted sanctions.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has called for immediate sanctions relief following a final deal.

The U.S. and its allies, meanwhile, want to ensure Iran is abiding by its promises before removing financial penalties against its economy.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif released a video message on Friday arguing that a definitive pact is nearly in reach.

Obama announced a “historic” framework agreement between the West and Iran in April. He has long argued diplomacy is the best means for preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican critics have countered that Iran has violated trust on similar agreements in the past.