Will Iran talks be delayed again?

The diplomatic talks over Iran’s nuclear program could be extended past Monday’s deadline, according to multiple reports.

Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday denied that a delay was in the works, stating: “We are not talking about an extension. We are talking about getting an agreement.”

{mosads}But negotiators say it’s unlikely that the controversial talks over Iran’s contested atomic program will produce a final agreement over the weekend.

“I’m not optimistic that we can get everything done by Monday,” Britain’s Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said, according to The Guardian.

Officials close to the talks told Reuters that they are considering setting a new March deadline for the talks, which would be the second extension.

But a delay into the new year could be problematic for the White House, with Republicans skeptical of the Iran talks set to take control of Congress in January.

GOP lawmakers and some Democrats have expressed outrage at reports that Obama is seeking a deal with Iran that wouldn’t require congressional approval, and a renewed push for Iran sanctions is brewing in Congress.

“Your negotiators appear to have disregarded clear expressions from the Senate emphasizing the need for a multi-decade agreement requiring Iran to fully suspend its enrichment and reprocessing activities, to dismantle its illicit nuclear infrastructure, and completely disclose its past work on nuclear weaponization,” 43 Republican senators wrote in a letter to Obama on Wednesday.

Republicans also criticized President Obama for sending a secret letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran, expressing his hope that a deal could be reached.

At issue is the future of Iran’s capacity to enrich nuclear material — including both uranium and plutonium. Western officials fear that the Iranians could enrich enough fuel to very quickly build a nuclear weapon.

Iran insists that it wants the fuel to develop nuclear power and denies they are building nuclear weapons. Any deal with the country is likely to be contingent on the West easing sanctions that have hurt its economy.