Iran and six world powers close to historic nuclear deal

“We are working hard, but a deal tonight is simply logistically impossible”, the Iranian official said, noting that the agreement will run roughly 100 pages.

“This is a historic moment and there could be serious repercussions if negotiators fail to seize this opportunity to get a good deal”, Arms Control Association analyst Kelsey Davenport told AFP.

“It might seem we have reached the top of the mountain”.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, however, left the talks on Sunday but was expected to return the next morning. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was also cautiously optimistic, telling reporters on 12 July: “I hope that we are finally entering the last phase of this negotiation”.

According to IRNA, unnamed sources in the German delegation said that a final nuclear deal was within reach, but it was “not quite finalized yet”, adding: “all outstanding questions are resolvable”.

“All of the official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly”.

“POLITICAL WILL ” REUTERS/Carlos BarriaU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with foreign ministers of Germany, France, China, Britain, Russian Federation and the European Union during the Iran Talks meetings at a hotel in Vienna, Austria July 7, 2015.

However, a senior USA official insisted: “Major issues remain to be resolved”. Negotiators had hoped to reach a deal by June 30, but postponed the deadline several times because of remaining differences over key issues that included how quickly sanctions would be lifted and a recent demand by Iran that all arms embargoes maintained against it be ended.

A deal with Iran would end a 13-year American standoff with the Islamic republic. The two met again early Saturday evening.

However, a senior Western diplomat said earlier in the week the six powers remained united, despite Moscow’s and Beijing’s well-known dislike of the embargos.

Iran will continue to fight the United States’ “global arrogance” whether or not the world powers and Iran reach a nuclear agreement, said Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday. But Khamenei did not set any new “red lines” for his negotiators as he did in a tough speech two weeks ago.

Now, he said, the ball is in the court of Democratic lawmakers who have to decide whether to support President Barack Obama as he seeks to secure Congressional approval, or to join the vocal Republican opposition to an agreement.