Kerry meets top mediator as Iran deadline looms

Secretary of State John Kerry held a surprise meeting with a top Arab negotiator Wednesday, as he pushes for a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, days before the Monday deadline.

The unexpected meeting was the second in two days between Kerry and Oman’s foreign minister, who is acting as a mediator in the talks, The Associated Press reported.

{mosads}Kerry’s last-minute attempt to move the dial comes amid reports that a deal is unlikely before Monday and that administration officials believe talks could be extended past the deadline.

Congressional Republicans in the past have opposed extending talks. But some now believe another extension would give them greater leverage over a deal, once they take control of Congress in January. 

The Iran talks gained increased attention following reports earlier this month that President Obama had secretly written to Iran’s supreme leader about his hopes for a nuclear deal.

Iran’s moderate president has also expressed hope that a deal could be reached by the deadline.

At issue, in part, is how fast Iran is able to enrich uranium. The Iranians say they need to be able to expand their enrichment facilities to pursue nuclear power plants, but the West wants to limit their capacity to stop them from getting within reach of a nuclear weapon.

Iran is banking on the West agreeing to ease sanctions, which have significantly hurt the country’s economy.