Iran Nuclear Envoys Near Outline Agreement, Buy More Time

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

by Jonathan TironeIndira LakshmananKambiz Foroohar
6:03 AM EDT March 31, 2015

(Bloomberg) -- Iran and world powers are closing in on an agreement detailing the main steps needed to resolve a 12-year standoff over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, giving themselves three months to overcome remaining differences.

Though any understanding is likely to fall short of the full resolution of every issue dogging the dispute that both sides had sought, a statement may be released later Tuesday, according to two officials involved who spoke on condition they not be named in line with diplomatic protocol. The parties would then have until June 30 to draft a detailed technical accord.

An agreement can be reached “as long as none of the participants at the talks raise their stakes at the last moment,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference before rejoining the negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland. One sticking point remained the lifting of United Nations sanctions as demanded by the Iranians, according to an official involved in the talks.

As negotiations continued, Swiss officials were preparing a venue at a Lausanne university for any signing ceremony. Police officers at the site confirmed it was being readied for the conclusion of the Iran negotiations.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-31/iran-nuclear-negotiators-nearing-declaration-as-time-runs-out

[Purveyor]

1. Netanyahu: Under Emerging Deal, Iran's Nuclear Breakout Time Is A Year Or Less

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted Tuesday that Israel would not be bound by the Iran nuclear accord being negotiated in Lausanne, and “will do everything to defend our security and our future.”

Netanyahu, speaking at the ceremonial opening of the 20th Knesset just hours before the self-imposed deadline for reaching a framework deal between the world powers and Iran, said that Israel was “not burying its head in the sand.”

“The biggest threat to our security and future was and remains Iran's attempt to arm with nuclear weapons,” he said. “The agreement being put together at Lausanne is paving the way for that result.”

Netanyahu said that the agreement will apparently allow Iran to retain its underground nuclear facilities, the hard water reactor at Arak, and advanced centrifuges. He said that just a few months ago Israel was told that none of those elements was necessary for a peaceful nuclear program.

“The breakout time to achieve fissile material for nuclear bombs will not be years, as was said at the beginning,” he said. “Our assessment is that it has been reduced to a year, and possibly much less time than that.”

more...

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Netanyahu-Under-emerging-deal-Irans-nuclear-breakout-time-is-a-year-or-less-395720

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. He can talk when he gets rid of Israel's nuclear arsenal. Fucking warmongering hypocrite.

[Abouttime]

4. Exactly

Iran hasn't been infiltrating Israeli airspace and dropping bombs, Iran hasn't been assassinating Israeli scientists, Iran hasn't been threatening war. This development is a huge step forward in insuring peace in the Middle East. I'm proud of our Secretary of State and our great President, cooler heads have prevailed, Obama is one hell of a diplomat.

[Fearless]

2. Netanyahu will try to sabotage it no doubt.

Again.

[quadrature]

5. Recycled news. Same story was posted yesterday in LBN.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1053302

[leveymg]

6. Manufactured crisis, artificial deadlines, chalk red lines in a rainstorm. Enough, already.

In the bigger scheme of things, the important thing is that the vast majority of the American people want peace with Iran, and many are waking up to the fact that Israel is increasingly not being helpful to that.

In fact, it is Israel's nuclear arsenal, constant threats, and apparent irrationality that really scare the hell out of most of us.