I/II. http://news.yahoo.com/agreement-principle-outlines-iran-deal-russian-media-235232956.html
Lavrov, Zarif claim breakthrough in Iran nuclear talks AFP By Simon Sturdee and Jo Biddle 1 hour ago Lausanne (AFP) - Russia and Iran's foreign ministers claimed a breakthrough early Wednesday in talks on a framework deal curtailing Tehran's nuclear programme, but the US said not all issues had been agreed yet, as discussions were suspended for the night. Related Stories Negotiators power past midnight deadline in Iran talks AFP Israeli PM lashes out as Iran nuclear talks intensify AFP 'Rollercoaster' Iran nuclear talks in the balance AFP Iran nuclear talks race towards key deadline AFP US, Iran warn 'tough' choices needed for nuclear deal AFP "One can say with relative certainty that we at the minister level have reached an agreement in principle on all key aspects of the final settlement of this issue," Russian media quoted Sergei Lavrov as saying at talks in Switzerland. This came after Russia's top diplomat and the foreign ministers of five other major powers and Iran continued working through the night as they missed a midnight (2200 GMT) deadline to agree the main outlines of what they hope will be an historic accord. The powers hope a full agreement, due to be finalised by June 30, will see Iran scale back its nuclear capability to prevent Tehran developing nuclear weapons under the guise of its civilian programme. The stakes are high, with fears that failure to reach a deal may set the United States and Israel on a road to military action to thwart Iran's nuclear drive, which Tehran says is purely peaceful. With talks set to resume Wednesday morning, confusion remained about the exact status of the negotiations. The "agreement in principle... will be put on paper in the coming hours or perhaps within one day," Lavrov said, quoted by Ria Novosti after a lengthy day of talks in Lausanne. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he hoped to complete later on Wednesday the outlines of the framework. "We have accomplished quite a bit, but people needed to get some rest and start over early in the morning. I hope that we can finalise the work on Wednesday," Zarif told reporters. A senior US official however said there was not yet full agreement on key points. View galleryIranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) greets … Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) greets Atomic Energy Organization of Iran head Ali ... "All issues have not been agreed," a senior US official told AFP. US Secretary of State John Kerry briefed President Barack Obama, and his national security team on the day's negotiations by secure video conference. Obama "received an update on the current status of the negotiations," national security council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said, adding he had "thanked the team for their continuing efforts." A Western diplomat also said there was no framework agreement yet. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius meanwhile followed his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in leaving Lausanne, with Fabius's office saying he would return "as soon as it is useful". - Low on detail? - Under the final accord, the powers want Iran to scale back its nuclear programme to give the world ample notice of any dash to make the bomb. In return, the Islamic republic is demanding the lifting of crippling sanctions. But the question is how much detail will be in the framework that Iran and the six powers -- the US, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- want to nail down. If it falls short of firm commitments by Iran, Obama will find it hard to fend off attempts by his Republican opponents to pass fresh sanctions on Tehran. Iran's negotiators are also under pressure from domestic hardliners not to give too much away and for President Hassan Rouhani to deliver on his promises to win the lifting of sanctions. Fresh US sanctions could torpedo the whole negotiating process launched after Rouhani became president in 2013. Republicans fear that since some of its nuclear infrastructure will likely stay intact, Iran will still be able to get the bomb -- a concern shared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "The greatest threat to our security and our future was and remains Iran's attempt to be armed with nuclear weapons. The agreement being formulated in Lausanne paves the way to that goal," Netanyahu said. Saudi Arabia, which has led an Arab coalition bombing Iran-backed rebels in Yemen in recent days, is also alarmed by Tehran's rapprochement with the West. Other areas of the mooted deal, including the future size of Iran's uranium enrichment capacity also appear to have been tentatively sewn up. But the two sides still appear to be discussing other areas, including what to do with Iran's stockpiles of nuclear material, and how long the deal should last. II. http://news.yahoo.com/differences-persist-deadline-day-iran-nuke-talks-054441922--politics.html No nuke agreement yet: Iran talks push past deadline Associated Press By MATTHEW LEE and GEORGE JAHN 5 hours ago LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- With stubborn disputes unresolved, nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers went past a self-imposed deadline and into overtime as negotiators renewed efforts to hammer out the outline of an agreement. Related Stories Iran nuclear talks near deadline; differences remain Associated Press Officials: Iran nuke talks solving some issues, not others Associated Press [$$] Iran Nuclear Talks Miss Deadline The Wall Street Journal 'Rollercoaster' Iran nuclear talks in the balance AFP Iran nuclear talks race towards key deadline AFP Enough progress had been made to warrant the extension past midnight Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said, although there still were "several difficult issues" to bridge. Secretary of State John Kerry, who had planned to leave the talks Tuesday, was remaining. And an Iranian negotiator said his team could stay "as long as necessary" to clear the remaining hurdles. The decision came after six days of marathon efforts to reach a preliminary understanding by midnight Tuesday, drawing in foreign ministers from all seven nations at the table -- Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. After more than a decade of diplomatic efforts to limit Tehran's nuclear advances, the present talks already had been extended twice, demonstrating the difficulties of reaching an agreement that meets the demands of both sides. The U.S. and its negotiating partners demand curbs on Iranian nuclear activities that could be used to make weapons, and they say any agreement must extend the time Tehran would need to produce a weapon from the present several months to at least a year. The Iranians deny such military intentions, but they are negotiating with the aim that a deal will end sanctions on their economy. View galleryU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second left, U.S. … U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, second left, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, left, Britis ... In a sign of the confusion surrounding the end of the talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed there was agreement on all sides. That statement was quickly contradicted by a Western diplomat. Late Tuesday, Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, "For the majority of issues, solutions have been completely found." He said drafting of an agreement should begin Wednesday. In Washington, White House press secretary Josh Earnest suggested that talks meant to produce an outline that would allow the sides to continue negotiations until the June 30 final deadline had not bridged all gaps. He said the sides were working to produce a text with few specifics, accompanied by documents outlining areas where further talks were needed. "If we are making progress toward the finish line, then we should keep going," Earnest said. President Barack Obama held a video conference Tuesday night with Kerry and other members of his national security team, including Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Officials had hoped to wrap up the current talks by Tuesday night with that joint general statement agreeing to start a new phase of negotiations to curb Iran's nuclear program. That statement would be accompanied by more detailed documents that would include technical information on understandings of steps required on all sides to resolve outstanding concerns. View galleryIranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, right, European … Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, right, European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini, ... Those documents would allow the sides to claim that the new phase of talks would not simply be a continuation of negotiations that have already been twice extended since an interim agreement between Iran and the so-called P5+1 nations was concluded in November 2013. Obama and other leaders have said they are not interested in simply a third extension. The softening of the language from a framework "agreement" to a framework "understanding" appeared due in part to opposition to a two-stage agreement from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Earlier this year, he demanded only one deal that would nail down specifics and not permit the other side to "make things difficult" by giving it wiggle room on interpretations. But if the parties agree only to a broad framework that leaves key details unresolved, Obama can expect stiff opposition at home from members of Congress who want to move forward with new, stiffer Iran sanctions. Lawmakers had agreed to hold off on such a measure through March while the parties negotiated. The White House says new sanctions would scuttle further diplomatic efforts to contain Iran's nuclear work and possibly lead Israel to act on threats to use military force to accomplish that goal. View galleryIranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, lefts, greets … Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, lefts, greets Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Ener ... Critics will likely accuse the Obama administration of backing away from promises of a tougher March agreement. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Tuesday that extending the talks "proves once again that Iran is calling the shots." He said the Obama administration has made "dangerous concessions" to the Iranians over the past week, though he did not specify them. In a letter signed by Cotton and 46 other Republican senators in early March, the lawmakers warned Tehran that any nuclear agreement with the Obama administration that lacks congressional approval could be unraveled by future presidents. Kerry late last year said the focus for March was agreement on "the major elements" of a comprehensive deal that would set a "clear path" for a June deal. If that failed to materialize, "we can revisit how we then want to choose to proceed," he added. Obstacles remain on several main issues -- uranium enrichment, where stockpiles of enriched uranium should be stored, limits on Iran's nuclear research and development and the timing and scope of sanctions, among other issues, according to negotiators. View galleryU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waits for the start … U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waits for the start of a meeting on Iran's nuclear program wi ... In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his severe criticism of the unfolding deal, saying it would leave intact much of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, including underground research facilities, a plutonium reactor and advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium. The U.S. says any final deal will accomplish a goal of stretching the time Iran would need to make a nuclear weapon from several months to a year. But Netanyahu said Washington initially promised "years" to a breakout time. "In our estimate, it will be reduced to perhaps a year, most likely much less than that," he said. Kerry and others have said the sides have made some progress. Other officials have said Iran is considering demands for further cuts to its uranium enrichment program but pushing back on how long it must limit technology it could use to make atomic arms. Tehran says it wants to enrich only for energy, science, industry and medicine. But many countries fear Iran could use the technology to make weapons-grade uranium. ___ Associated Press writers Julie Pace, Darlene Superville and Alan Fram in Washington contributed to this report. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
