Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is seen as he walks through a courtyard at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel during an extended round of talks in Lausanne on Wednesday.
Reuters/Lausanne, Switzerland
Iran's Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that the nuclear talks with the major powers could succeed if they have political will to resolve Iran's 12-year old nuclear standoff.
"Progress and success of the talks depends on the political will of the other party ... and this is an issue they have always had a problem with," said Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters in the Swiss city of Lausanne, where the talks are set to enter an eighth day.
The White House said progress was still being made in crunch nuclear talks, but warned the US would walk away if negotiations stall.
"The sense that we have is that, yes, the talks continue to be productive and that progress is being made," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
"As long as we are in a position of convening serious talks that are making progress," Earnest said the US "would not arbitrarily or abruptly end them."
"But if we are in a situation where we sense that the talks have stalled then yes, the US and the international community is prepared to walk away."
Marathon negotiations are taking place in Lausanne, between Iran and six world powers including the US.
A historic deal is being held up by arguments over the mechanism for lifting crippling sanctions against the Islamic republic.
The US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany want Iran to scale down its nuclear program to extend the "breakout" time needed for it to assemble enough nuclear material to make a bomb.
Earnest said President Barack Obama would make a public address when negotiations conclude, whether successful or not.
