Iran nuclear talks: Ban Ki-moon calls for a successful deal

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday called for the Iran nuclear talks to be brought to a successful conclusion that meets the concerns and interests of all sides.

Ban urged the participants in the negotiations to "demonstrate the necessary flexibility, wisdom and determination to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion", Xinhua reported, citing a statement issued by the UN chief's spokesman.

Talks resumed Tuesday between the P5+1 group of global powers and Iran.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) -- the US, Britain, France, China, Russia -- and Germany are trying to reach a nuclear deal with Iran in the Austrian capital Vienna, with only a few days left to reach the deal.

The negotiators are looking for a long-term solution to the decade-old issue of the disputed Iranian nuclear programme, aiming to strike a comprehensive deal by the Nov 24 deadline.

Ban hoped that reaching a mutually acceptable and comprehensive agreement would restore confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme, according to the statement by the UN chief's spokesman.

Ban was convinced that such an accord would contribute to the strengthening of regional and international peace and security, at a time when global cooperation is needed perhaps more than ever, the statement added.

Gaps still remain on some key issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme, which include defining the size and scope of the programme, particularly the number of centrifuges that Iran can operate during the duration of the deal.

The stakes of the talks are high, but once the deal is reached, it could change the political equations in the Middle East.

Iran's nuclear programme has long been suspected by the West, which has demanded Iran to significantly scale back the programme, while Iran has continued to insist that it has an inalienable right to develop its civilian atomic plan.