(JTA) – Wendy Sherman, the United States’ chief negotiator with Iran, will leave her post shortly after the June 30 deadline for a final deal with the Islamic Republic.
Sherman, the under-secretary of state, made the announcement in an interview published in the New York Times on Wednesday.
She made the announcement as she left for Vienna, where a final round of talks before the deadline is taking place.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi told Iran’s state TV that the talks to reach a nuclear agreement between Iran and the world powers may be extended beyond the stated June 30 deadline in order to formulate “a good deal that covers our demands.”
Sherman has been one of a very few women involved in the negotiations. She reportedly is considered to be one of Israel’s best friends in the Obama administration.
“Wendy has been an absolutely critical member of my team, most notably in her work spearheading the nuclear negotiations with Iran, but on nearly every important issue that has crossed my desk,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement to CNN.
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