VIENNA — Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday negotiators engaged in talks with Iran over its nuclear program are still pushing for a deal by Monday’s deadline, though partners in the negotiations have signaled more time may be needed.
‘‘We are not talking about an extension,’’ Kerry said before departing Paris. ‘‘We are talking about getting an agreement.’’
The remarks contrast with other officials already predicting that talks will probably continue beyond the self-imposed Monday deadline. But Kerry appears to be seeking pressure on Iran to offer clearer concessions and possible steps to satisfy UN inspectors during the upcoming round in Vienna.
The latest attempts to hammer out a deal, which began in 2012, have not achieved significant breakthroughs between Iran and the six-nation group: the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany.
The steady contacts, however, have helped define the snags.
Iran seeks an easing of international economic sanctions in exchange for greater monitoring and a possible scaling back of its nuclear program. But Iran insists it will not fully give up its ability to enrich uranium, the process to create nuclear fuel.
Iran asserts it only seeks enriched uranium to power reactors for energy and medical applications. The United States and its allies fear Iran could someday boost enrichment levels to make material for a nuclear weapon.
The United Nation nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, also wants greater access to certain sites, including a military base near Tehran, to investigate claims of possible tests related to nuclear arms technology.
‘‘We are united . . . in our sense of where the issues are, what the issues are, and what we need to do,’’ Kerry said at the close of a meeting with his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, whose nation has been at odds with Washington at times over the direction of the talks.
Kerry said the United States is not willing to make a deal with Iran at any price, but he did not specifically insist that a comprehensive deal be reached by Monday. ‘‘We hope that those gaps that exist — and they do exist — can be closed,’’ he said. “We hope we can define the finish line.’’
Kerry’s meetings over the past few days included the foreign ministers of Oman — a frequent intermediary between Washington and Tehran — and Saudi Arabia, a key US-ally and one of Iran’s main regional rivals.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it was unclear how long Kerry would remain in Vienna after holding discussions with the US negotiating team.
Other top officials have already noted the difficulty of reaching any kind of comprehensive accord by the deadline.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Wednesday he was ‘‘not optimistic’’ about a wide-ranging pact by Monday.
The spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the negotiators to demonstrate ‘‘flexibility, wisdom, and determination.’’