Iran Talks on Pause as Zarif Consults Top Leaders on Sanctions

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said his Iranian counterpart left nuclear talks in Vienna for discussions with the country’s leaders on removing sanctions, suggesting the issue remains a major hurdle to a deal.

Iran’s top diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, traveled to Tehran on Sunday and is expected to rejoin talks in the Austrian capital on Tuesday. He gave no reason for his departure, which came just 48 hours before a self-declared deadline for an accord on capping Iran’s nuclear program.