No Iran Sanctions Relief Before End 2015

Sanctions relief for Iran under a potential nuclear agreement would not take place before the end of this year under the best-case scenario, German Ambassador to the United States Peter Wittig said on Tuesday.

Wittig was speaking at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.

The French ambassador to the United States, Gerard Araud, also said it was possible there might be a "fuzzy" end to the Iran negotiations even if an agreement is reached in late June or early July. Technical annexes spelling out the details might need to be finalized after a wider agreement is reached, he said.

A June 30 deadline looms for world powers to reach a deal to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for an end to sanctions on Tehran. Iran contends its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and rejects allegations from Western countries and their allies that it is pursuing atomic weapons.

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed)