The Guardian online previews the start of nuclear talks today between Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) in Vienna as the two sides look to broker a long-term agreement on Iran’s nuclear development. The report says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said although he is not opposed to the talks, he is not optimistic over their chances of success. An editorial in the Times warns that despite the election of President Rouhani last summer, “Iran remains a clerical regime with big ambitions” and cautions Western powers against Iranian “duplicity.” The Daily Mail claims that Russia is preparing a deal with Iran to swap oil in return for helping build a second reactor at the Bushehr nuclear plant.

The Evening Standard reports on the bus bomb which killed at least three South Korean tourists on the Egyptian side of the Sinai border with Israel. The explosion, carried out by a jihadist group, took place no more than 50 metres from Israel’s border. Extremist Islamist groups have attacked Egyptian security forces in Sinai with regularity since the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood, but this was the first attack on tourists during this period.

Online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph say US Secretary of State John Kerry commented that President Assad is stonewalling Syrian peace talks and that Russia could do more to exert pressure on him. In the Telegraph online, David Blair says that Syria’s chemical weapons disarmament is months behind schedule and quotes an unnamed UK official who blames Assad for dragging his feet.

In the Israeli media this morning, Yediot Ahronot, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom focus extensively on a gas explosion in a residential block in Acre yesterday, which killed five people. Maariv says that police suspect the explosion may have been caused by attempts by residents to sabotage a cellular phone antenna erected by the building’s owner.

Maariv reports that Deutsche Bank has offered investors an “ethical” investment track which would exclude investments in Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s largest bank which has interests in the West Bank. Commentator Ben-Dror Yemini warns against the “creeping” boycott threat and says, “In order to change anything, Israel needs a policy that is a bit clearer. It doesn’t have one.”

Israel Radio news reports this morning that US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat in Paris tomorrow, to discuss the terms of Kerry’s framework plan for final status talks.