LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Iran's foreign minister pledged Thursday to stick around for "as long as necessary" as nuclear talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry entered their fourth day.
The U.S. is working with five world powers and Iran to reach a deal on Tehran's disputed nuclear program ahead of a self-imposed end of March deadline, and Kerry and Tehran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, along with political directors on both sides, have been holding bilateral meetings this week in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Delegations involved have been optimistic but cautious over whether a deal can be reached, with U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki saying conversations had been “difficult but constructive.”
Zarif — prior to a sit-down with Kerry on Thursday behind closed doors — said progress had been made in discussions but that "there are issues that need to be resolved."
“We will stay for as long as necessary,” Zarif told journalists as he took a walk along the banks of Geneva.