Iran nuclear talks go down to wire

Negotiators for world powers and Iran worked through the night in an effort to reach a nuclear deal by the end of Tuesday that would set the stage for a new era in U.S.-Iranian relations.

Officials, who demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to comment on the talks, on Tuesday said the parties are preparing to issue a general statement agreeing to continue negotiations in a new phase, aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement by the end of June, the Associated Press reported.

The officials told the agency that the statement is to be accompanied by documents outlining more detailed understandings, allowing the sides to claim enough progress has been made thus far to merit a new round of discussions.

The talks between the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany and Iran are focused on curbing Iran's nuclear program to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons, while easing sanctions that have crippled that country's economy.

Such a deal would make Iran less of a national security threat to the USA but could lead to even more friction as Iran continues to expand its reach across the Middle East, said Suzanne Maloney, a former State Department policy planner now at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

"I have no expectation that a deal would moderate or change Iran's regional diplomacy in a short-term fashion," Maloney said. "There's been a very consistent track record of seeking groups in other states to expand its influence. ... If anything we might see a more empowered Iran operating in other arenas."

In Lausanne, Switzerland. where diplomats continued to press for a deal before a self-imposed deadline of midnight Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters some progress was made in the talks Monday, but "there are still some tricky issues" to resolve.

Negotiators are seeking a general agreement by Tuesday, and a comprehensive deal in June. The U.S. Congress, which is on recess until April 13, has threatened to vote on increasing sanctions if a framework is not reached in March.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany is committed to preventing Iran from getting access to nuclear weapons, and "we have not yet cleared this up," the AP reported.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov planned to leave the talks Monday, after arriving Sunday. Lavrov would return to Lausanne on Tuesday if something changed, said his spokeswoman, Maria Zarakhova.

Kerry and other negotiators said Iran is considering further cuts to its uranium enrichment program but is asking to shorten the time period for limiting technology that could be used for either peaceful purposes or weapons. In addition to sticking points on research and development, differences remain on the timing and scope of removing sanctions, the officials said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a critic of the evolving deal with Iran, said concessions should not be made while Iran is backing militias and expanding its influence in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

The deal in the works sends the message that "there is a reward for Iran's aggression," Netanyahu said, according to AP.

"We will continue to act against any threat," he said, an allusion to Israeli warnings that it will use force as a last resort against Tehran's nuclear program.

Maloney said Iran's actions across the region are based on its interests, and those won't change because of a nuclear deal.

Once a deal is reached, "the Iranians can be reasonably confident" the Europeans and others would be unlikely to return to the United Nations Security Council to impose more sanctions over its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen or Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, she said.

Economic concerns are a motivator to Iran to get a deal, however.

The country faces economic collapse due to low oil prices and crippling international sanctions if the talks collapse, said Matthew McInnis, a former Iran analyst for U.S. Central Command, who's now at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank.

"Iran wants this more than we do and certainly needs it more than we do," McInnis said.

For the United States, failure could mean a collapse of the sanctions regime that many in the West believe brought Iran to the negotiating table, he said.