Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on July 9 that Moscow wants a United Nations arms embargo against Iran to be "lifted as soon as possible" as part of a final nuclear agreement being negotiated in Vienna.
Lavrov said there are no insurmountable obstacles in reaching a deal, but the key is the quality of an agreement -- not the timing.
At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ufa, Iranian President Hassan Rohani said he was grateful to Russia for its efforts to secure a nuclear agreement.
Earlier on July 9, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers has entered their most difficult phase.
Speaking on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Ufa, Ryabkov said all countries in the P5+1 group are working on new proposals submitted by Tehran in an attempt to reach a final deal by July 10.
Iran said on July 8 that it offered new solutions to resolve the talks, but Western officials suggest they’ve heard nothing new from Tehran.
President Barack Obama told U.S. lawmakers on July 8 that there is, at best, a 50 percent chance of reaching an agreement.
The latest extension of the talks to June 10 leaves open the possibility an agreement would not be reached in time to secure a 30-day review period by the Republican-dominated U.S. Congress.
If an agreement is sent to Congress after July 9, the review period grows to 60 days -- increasing the chance that the deal could unravel.