Iran and six world powers have agreed on the outlines of an understanding to limit Iran's nuclear programs, negotiators indicated Thursday, as both sides prepared for announcements.
Iran and six world powers have agreed on the outlines of an understanding to limit Iran's nuclear programs, negotiators indicated on Thursday, as both sides prepared for announcements. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted: "Found solutions. Ready to start drafting immediately." European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini tweeted that she would meet the press with Zarif after a final meeting of the seven nations in the nuclear talks. She wrote: "Good news."
The officials spoke following week-long talks that have been twice extended past the March 31 deadline in an effort to formulate both a general statement of what has been accomplished and documents describing what needs to be done to meet a June 30 deadline for a final accord.
Mogherini and Zarif were to read out the same statement in English and Farsi. Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry were then expected to brief reporters separately.
The US and five other countries hope to curb Iran's nuclear technologies that could be used to make weapons. Iran denies such ambitions but is negotiating because it wants a lifting of economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear program.
Pressured by congressional critics in the US who threaten to impose new sanctions over what they say is a bad emerging deal, the Obama administration is demanding significant public disclosure of agreements and understandings reached at the current round. Iran wants a minimum made public at this point, describing previous two-stage deals as detrimental to their interests, officials say.
The Iranians want any results from talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne described less as a deal and more of an informal understanding.
The talks resumed today after a flurry of overnight sessions between Kerry and Zarif, and other meetings involving the six powers.
Iran also wants to get rid of sanctions that have stifled its economy. The US and its partners want detailed documents on the steps Iran must take by the end of June on its nuclear program.
One problem, said Zarif, has been differing voices among the other side at the table - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - making it difficult for them "to reach a coordination."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who left Lausanne Tuesday, said the two sides were close, the Interfax news agency reported. There are "only a few steps left to take or, in some cases, even-half steps, and some things have already been agreed upon," he said.
The talks - the latest in more than a decade of diplomatic efforts to curb Iran's nuclear prowess - hit the weeklong mark today, shortly before the State Department announced they would go into double overtime from the March 31 deadline for a political framework.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}