The Financial Times, Telegraph, Independent, Daily Mail, City AM, Evening Standard and Independent i report that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) yesterday verified that Iran has complied with the first requirements of the interim nuclear agreement concluded with the P5+1 forum (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany). This involved halting the development of 20 per cent enriched uranium at the Natanz and Fordow plants. In return, the P5+1 powers suspended some sanctions on Iran’s trade in petrochemicals and precious metals. The Guardian says the White House called the development an “unprecedented opportunity”, while the Times suggests the West will now look to negotiate a permanent deal with Tehran.

High diplomatic drama regarding the Geneva II Syria peace talks is also widely covered. The print editions of the Guardian, Times and Financial Times report that the conference was on the brink of collapse, with Syrian opposition groups ready to withdraw their participation over United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s surprise invitation for Iran to attend the talks. Ban Ki-moon had claimed that Iran’s Foreign Minister had accepted the principles of the communiqué from the original Geneva talks, a pre-requisite to participation this week. However, the Independent and online editions of the Guardian, Financial Times and Telegraph report that in the end, Iran took no such undertaking and as a result, Ban Ki-moon’s invitation was rescinded, with the conference scheduled to begin in earnest tomorrow.

Writing in the Times, Roger Boyes suggests that yesterday’s Geneva II diplomatic debacle and Tehran’s compliance with the initial requirements of the interim nuclear deal are closely related. He argues that it may be evidence of the Tehran regime “starting to define its limits” over its relationship with the international community and warns of a “less jovial” Iranian leadership from now on.

The Guardian and online editions of the Telegraph and Independent report that new photographic evidence provided by a defected Syrian government photographer shows evidence of “industrial level” killing and torture by the Assad regime, which could amount to war crimes. Writing in the Telegraph online, Richard Spencer says there is no other solution to Syria’s civil war other than a peace deal, but says there is little evidence this will happen.

In the Israeli media, Maariv leads with Iran’s halting of enrichment of uranium to 20 per cent, in compliance with the interim deal agreed with the P5+1 forum. However, Nadav Eyal warns, “it will be difficult and perhaps even impossible to reach the longed-for final agreement in which the Iranians will truly concede their efforts to acquire military nuclear capability.”

Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and Makor Rishon prominently report that two Grad rockets fell around Israel’s southernmost city Eilat yesterday evening. Israel Radio news reports this morning that Israeli authorities are still searching for remnants of the rockets, which caused loud explosions and are assumed to have been fired by Islamists in the Sinai Peninsula. Eilat is both an important tourist resort and commercial port.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s speech at a special session of the Knesset yesterday is also widely covered. In an address which Maariv describes as “one of the friendliest speeches of support ever heard from the leader of a foreign country in the Knesset,” Harper said that boycotting Israel is a new form of anti-Semitism and pledged: “Canada supports Israel because it is right to do so.” Israel Hayom praises Harper’s “supportive” speech which is also highlighted by Makor Rishon, while Yediot Ahronot’s coverage focuses on two Arab MKs who stormed out during the speech.

The front pages of Yediot Ahronot and Israel Hayom both feature a gas explosion in a residential building in Jerusalem which tragically killed a couple and their young child. The story is also covered prominently in Haaretz.