Iran nuclear deadline \\\'likely\\\' to be extended

VIENNA, Nov 24,  (AFP)  Iran and world powers looked likely Monday to miss a midnight deadline to agree a long-awaited nuclear deal, with a Western diplomat saying they would agree an extension and meet again next month.

"Given progress made this weekend, talks headed to likely extension with experts and negotiating teams reconvening in December at a yet to be determined location," the diplomat said.

As the foreign ministers of Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, the so-called P5+1, went into a meeting in Vienna, it was unclear how long the extension could be.

In the best chance in years to resolve the long-running standoff over Iran's nuclear programme, the P5+1 have been locked in talks with Iran for months, seeking to turn an interim deal that expires at midnight (2300 GMT) into a lasting accord.