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The talks hit a snag as the negotiations entered their third day, with Iran standing firm on several sticking points that could jeopardize a deal, senior U.S. officials and Western diplomats said.

The sources said Iran has refused to budge on key issues centering around the scope of advanced nuclear research that Iran could continue to do while a deal is in effect, as well as the pace of sanctions relief.

"The Iranians are being very tough on the most difficult issues," a senior U.S. official told CNN. "We are headed toward the deadline, so in some ways we expect this, but we really don't know if we will get there."

One Western diplomat surmised that the Iranian delegation faced pressure after returning home to Tehran following the last round of talks and returned with a harder negotiating position.

"We spent all of yesterday pushing the Iranians," the diplomat told CNN. "They are not moving. It's very difficult. It is not going well. We are really at a point where the Iranians need to decide whether they want this or not."

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tried to downplay tensions after meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, saying that some progress was made

"We are moving forward. I think we can in fact make the necessary progress to be able to resolve all of the issues and start writing them down in a text that will be come the final agreement," Zarif said.

But suggesting the issue of sanctions remains a stumbling block, he added, "I believe they have realized that sanctions, pressure and an agreement will not go together. It's only to translate that understanding and realization into the agreement that we are negotiating."

Zarif meet Saturday with Secretary of State John Kerry. But U.S. officials said they hoped the arrivals of the other ministers in the negotiations would show unity among the parties and put pressure on the Iranians to sign onto a political framework pact that places curbs on Iran's nuclear program ahead of the March 31 deadline.

British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also are expected this weekend

Original post:
Iran not budging on key points as nuclear deadline looms