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Negotiations with Iran could go past deadline -- White House

WASHINGTON, March 31 (KUNA) -- Officials in Switzerland have decided to continue the talks with Iran over its nuclear program past the deadline today if the negotiations continue to be productive, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Tuesday.
"The international community, standing alongside the United States, is seeking very specific and very serious commitments from the Iranians to shut down every pathway they have to a nuclear weapon, and to agree to intrusive inspections to verify their compliance with the agreement," Earnest said during a briefing.
"And we have been very clear that if, after a year of negotiating, Iran is not in a position to make those serious commitments, that we are going to be prepared to consider other alternatives," he said.
"But, if necessary, if the conversations continue to be productive, it is possible that the talks could continue into tomorrow." It does not make sense, "if we are getting serious engagement from the other side, to just abruptly end the talks based on this deadline," Earnest said, referring to the deadline of midnight tonight, which both sides had agreed on.
"Because the fact is, if we are making progress toward the finish line, then we should keep going." (end) rm.ibi