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The chances of clinching a nuclear deal with Iran are 50-50 “at best,” the White House said Tuesday as negotiators in Switzerland raced against the clock to close the gaps, AFP reported.

“In the mind of the president the odds have not moved,” and “some of the most difficult issues ... have yet to be resolved,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

This followed comments from Iran’s nuclear chief at the Lausanne talks involving U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that “90 percent of the technical issues” have been agreed.

“In most of the issues we have come to mutual agreements – we have differences only in one major issue which we will try to solve,” Ali Akbar Salehi said.

Iran and six world powers – the U.S., Russia, Britain, France, Britain and Germany – aim to agree the framework of nuclear deal by March 31 and then have a full deal by July 1.

Such an agreement, they hope, will convince the world that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian program, a goal Tehran strenuously denies having.

The accord would involve Iran agreeing to scale down its nuclear activities to within strict limits in return for relief from sanctions suffocating its economy.

If they manage it and the accord holds, both sides hope it will end a 12-year standoff and help normalize Iran’s international relations at a volatile time in the Middle East.