[JURIST] The nuclear negotiations between six world powers and Iran will continue [EU press release, PDF] beyond Tuesday’s deadline until Friday, July 10. This is not an official extension of deadline [statement], according to High Representative for the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini [official profile], though the deadline was previously extended [BBC report] from June 30 to July 7. “We are still working very hard to finalise this agreement….We are moving forward. We are entering the most difficult and sensitive part of the talks,” Mogherini said. As stipulated in the Joint Plan of Action [text, PDF] drafted by the Council of the European Union [official website], Iran must agree to a decade of increased nuclear sanctions and surveillance on its government and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) [official website] in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions by the P5+1, consisting of the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany.

Over the past several years Iran has been subject to numerous sanctions for its contentious nuclear program. Iranian leaders have repeatedly claimed [JURIST report] that the developing nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but the international community, Israel in particular, worries that Iran’s enrichment program was designed for military purposes. The US and France agreed [JURIST report] in March to strengthen nuclear talks with Iran to persuade the nation to restrain its nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions and in April Iran agreed [JURIST report] to a framework deal to restrict its nuclear plan. A report obtained by the Associated Press in July from the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [official website] showed [JURIST report] that Iran has been keeping its commitment as part of a preliminary nuclear deal from 2013 barring Iran from expanding nuclear programs during negotiations.