Final countdown: Iran nuclear talks continue as deadline looms

Wrapping up six days of marathon nuclear talks with mixed results, Iran and six world powers are preparing to issue a general statement agreeing to continue negotiations in a “new phase”, according to two officials. One of the officials said the statement was general in part because differences between the sides remained ahead of a new phase of negotiations toward a comprehensive deal by late June. The talks have already been extended twice as part of more than a decade of diplomatic attempts to curb Tehran’s nuclear advance.

Prospects for this round of negotiations were not bad, and I would even say good.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking to reporters today

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who left Lausanne Monday, was heading back to the Swiss city where talks are being held – another indication that an end to the talks is near. He departed on Monday but said he would return if a deal was imminent. Foreign ministers of five nations at the table joined U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for intense talks over the weekend in an effort to reach a political understanding on terms.

Middle East