Western countries negotiating with Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear programme will not accept "a bad deal," Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said.
While speaking after Saturday's talks in London, Hammond said that the western nations will not accept a deal that did not meet their "red lines," reported the BBC.
While admitting that "substantial progress" had been made with Iran on key issues, an official statement released after the meeting said that there were still "important issues" on which no agreement has yet been reached.
The statement added that it was now time for Iran, in particular, to take difficult decisions.
Ministers from France, Germany, and the U.K. along with the U.S. Secretary of State met in London amid increasing urgency to seal a nuclear deal by the end of March.
The P5+1 nations, including, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China, accuse Iran of building nuclear weapons under the pretense of developing its nuclear capabilities for civilian purposes. They want Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions in return for the lifting of United Nations sanctions.
Sticking points in the agreement include the pace at which sanctions would be lifted, how long the deal will last and how much of Iran's nuclear facilities will be open to inspection.
