Russia: Iran deal could happen 'at any given moment', says Deputy FM Ryabkov

Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergei Ryabkov said a deal on Iran's nuclear programme could be reached "at any given moment", as he gave a press statement in the city of Ufa during the BRICS summit, Thursday. Ryabkov said he would "refrain from naming any particular days" for the conclusion of the talks, as he had been wrong in the past. Discussing the talks, the Russian deputy foreign minister stated that they were discussing the removal of sanctions, the duration of the agreement and the possibility of re-introducing sanctions should something go wrong or if one party underperforms. Negotiators from Russia, China, France, the UK, the US, Germany and Iran re-convened in Vienna last week to try and reach a final agreement on a nuclear deal. Following a week of talks, the initial deadline of June 30 was shelved and all parties agreed a new one of July 7. As the negotiators acknowledged that they would still not be able to find a deadline on Tuesday, they agreed to extend it through until Friday, July 10.