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              Diplomats Join Iran Nuclear Talks With Deal in Sight

   by Al Pessin

   Foreign ministers from the United Nations contact group are flying to
   Geneva on short notice, including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry,
   amid expectations that they will finalize a preliminary agreement to
   limit Iran's nuclear program and ease economic sanctions against Iran.
   In a dramatic turn of events, Kerry interrupted a Middle East trip to
   fly to Geneva, and his colleagues from several other leading countries
   decided to join him.
   The moves came after Iran's foreign minister said his delegation and
   the U.N. contact group were closing in on an agreement.
   ''''Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif told CNN late Thursday Iran is
   prepared to address some of the international community's concerns
   about its nuclear program, while maintaining it has the right to enrich
   uranium - a key step toward building a nuclear bomb.
   He said agreement was possible by Friday evening, but would not provide
   details.
   In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney hinted at the outlines
   of a deal.
   "This would stop Iran's nuclear program for the first time in a
   decade," he said. "In exchange for concrete, verifiable measures to
   address the P5+1's concerns during the first step the P5+1 would
   consider limited, targeted and reversible relief that does not affect
   our core sanctions architecture."
   Officials have indicated Iran may at least temporarily stop enriching
   uranium to near weapons grade, but will maintain the ability to resume.
   Iran says it does not want a nuclear weapon, but the U.N. Security
   Council wants limits on how close it can get and inspections to prove
   it is complying.
   Announcement expected
   The arrival of Kerry and the other foreign ministers sets the stage for
   a senior-level negotiating session and possibly a significant
   announcement.
   ''In an interview with NBC News, U.S. President Barack Obama stressed
   the need for Iran to begin to live up to what he called its
   international obligations on its nuclear program.
   "So we don't have to trust them," Obama said. "What we have to do is to
   make sure that there is a good deal in place from the perspective of us
   verifying what they're doing. And that they're actually moving in the
   right direction."
   But while Obama referred to 'a good deal,' Israeli Prime Minister
   Benjamin Netanyahu expressed a decidedly different view Friday, when
   Kerry stopped in Israel to brief him.
   ''Netanyahu said a reduction of Iran's ability to enrich uranium should
   be part of any agreement.
   "Iran got the deal of the century and the international community got a
   bad deal," he said. "This is a very bad deal. Israel utterly rejects
   it."
   Diplomats here in Geneva stress that this accord, is only a first step,
   and that sanctions will be reimposed, and potentially strengthened, if
   it doesn't work out
   An agreement during only the second round of talks with Iran's new
   government would come in part due to the intense pressure both sides
   are under from hardliners back home, who will criticize and likely try
   to block any compromise.
   The officials acknowledge they have to move fast, and deliver results
   that both sides can say fulfill their goals.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/top-diplomats-head-to-geneva-to-seal-
   iran-nuclear-deal/1786268.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/top-diplomats-head-to-geneva-to-seal-iran-nuclear-deal/1786268.html