BICOM

Foreign ministers from the P5+1 powers and Iran resumed meetings early this morning in a last ditch effort to secure a framework agreement with Iran on its nuclear programme by today’s deadline. Negotiators worked through the night on the deal but as yet there is no news of an agreement, with US Secretary of State John Kerry telling the press yesterday: “There is a little more light there today, but there are still some tricky issues.” State department officials briefed journalists yesterday evening that the chances were “50/50”, whilst German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said this morning “we are in a bit of a crisis”, according to BBC correspondent Barbara Plett.  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov left Lausanne yesterday, promising to return if there was progress.

Though few concrete details are available, it is widely reported that gaps remain over several issues in what would be a highly complex multi-staged arrangement. According to reports, differences remain over the speed of sanctions relief, with particular disagreements over lifting UN sanctions; the scope of research and development that Iran will be allowed to conduct on advanced centrifuges in years 11-15 of the deal; and the mechanism for re-imposing sanctions should Iran renege on the deal. There is also a lack of clarity about the plan for Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium, and whether they will be shipped out of the country or allowed to remain in Iran in diluted form.

Meanwhile, Israel continued to warn of the negative consequences of a deal. Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday highlighted Iran’s role in the violence in Yemen, saying: “The agreement being formulated in Lausanne sends a message that there is no price for aggression and on the contrary – that Iran’s aggression is to be rewarded. The moderate and responsible countries in the region, especially Israel and also many other countries, will be the first to be hurt by this agreement.”

Israel, in common with Sunni Arab states fears that the US is overcommitted to securing an agreement with Iran and willing to sign an agreement that will leave Iran as a threshold state within reach of nuclear weapons.