Washington (CNN)Iranian nuclear negotiations are getting increasingly difficult as diplomats stare down a fast-approaching deadline at the end of the month -- a deadline officials said may need to be extended.
A senior U.S. official and Western diplomat downplayed a report from the Russian news agency Tass, which quoted a diplomat as saying talks are "virtually stalled." The two officials instead told CNN Friday that negotiations are tough, as expected, but continue to move forward.
But the two sources said that the talks are at a delicate moment and that negotiations may have to be extended a few days past the June 30 deadline. Nobody in the room is yet talking about a full-scale extension, they added.
The United States and five other world powers are negotiating with Iran to curb the country's nuclear program and keep it from building a nuclear bomb. Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful, and in April the parties reached a framework to hash out the details of a final deal.
Sanctions relief for Iran and the level of access inspectors will have in that country continue to be major sticking points in the negotiations.
Iran wants near immediate sanctions relief, while Western officials are wary of lifting sanctions too quickly as they keep an eye on Iran's activities in the early months after a deal is reached.