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| Preliminary Nuclear Deal With Iran Appears Close, but Tough Issues May Wait | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| LAUSANNE, Switzerland — With a deadline just hours away, negotiators from the United States, Iran and five other nations appeared on Tuesday to move closer to a preliminary political accord to limit Tehran’s nuclear program. There were signs, however, that several of the most difficult issues would be deferred for a final agreement in three months. | LAUSANNE, Switzerland — With a deadline just hours away, negotiators from the United States, Iran and five other nations appeared on Tuesday to move closer to a preliminary political accord to limit Tehran’s nuclear program. There were signs, however, that several of the most difficult issues would be deferred for a final agreement in three months. |
| In Moscow, Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that there was a strong chance of an accord and that he was flying to back to Switzerland on Tuesday, after leaving the day before, to rejoin the talks. | In Moscow, Sergey V. Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said that there was a strong chance of an accord and that he was flying to back to Switzerland on Tuesday, after leaving the day before, to rejoin the talks. |
| “The chances are high,” Mr. Lavrov said. “They are probably not 100 percent, but you can never be 100 percent certain of anything. The odds are quite ‘doable’ if none of the parties raise the stakes at the last minute.” | “The chances are high,” Mr. Lavrov said. “They are probably not 100 percent, but you can never be 100 percent certain of anything. The odds are quite ‘doable’ if none of the parties raise the stakes at the last minute.” |
| Yet any accord that is reached will be, by design, an interim instrument — more an outline of areas of agreement that might be devoid of some specifics that the United States Congress, Israel, Arab states, and Iran’s military and hard-liners have been worried about. | Yet any accord that is reached will be, by design, an interim instrument — more an outline of areas of agreement that might be devoid of some specifics that the United States Congress, Israel, Arab states, and Iran’s military and hard-liners have been worried about. |
| The March 31 deadline was established three months ago as a forcing mechanism to determine whether there was enough political will to reach a final accord by the end of June, when an interim agreement temporarily limiting Iran’s activities expires. | The March 31 deadline was established three months ago as a forcing mechanism to determine whether there was enough political will to reach a final accord by the end of June, when an interim agreement temporarily limiting Iran’s activities expires. |
| Just days ago, Iran seemed intransigent on several major issues. It wanted United Nations sanctions to be lifted almost immediately, while the United States and its negotiating partners wanted any relaxation to be gradual — to ensure that Iran takes steps that would make it far harder to produce bomb-grade material in less than a year, and as it answers long-evaded questions from international inspectors. | Just days ago, Iran seemed intransigent on several major issues. It wanted United Nations sanctions to be lifted almost immediately, while the United States and its negotiating partners wanted any relaxation to be gradual — to ensure that Iran takes steps that would make it far harder to produce bomb-grade material in less than a year, and as it answers long-evaded questions from international inspectors. |
| On Monday, the State Department acknowledged that a central question, the disposition of Iran’s large stockpile of nuclear fuel, remained a subject of debate. | On Monday, the State Department acknowledged that a central question, the disposition of Iran’s large stockpile of nuclear fuel, remained a subject of debate. |
| “The bottom line is that we don’t have agreement with the Iranians on the stockpile issue,” a State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, told reporters. Western officials here suggested that the issue might be categorized a technical question and kicked down the road to the June final agreement. | “The bottom line is that we don’t have agreement with the Iranians on the stockpile issue,” a State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, told reporters. Western officials here suggested that the issue might be categorized a technical question and kicked down the road to the June final agreement. |
| “One person is missing here: It’s Ayatollah Khamenei,” a senior European diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said late on Monday, referring to the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We don’t know what he will think of the provisions.” | “One person is missing here: It’s Ayatollah Khamenei,” a senior European diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said late on Monday, referring to the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “We don’t know what he will think of the provisions.” |
| Also missing is Congress, which has pledged to impose additional sanctions if a preliminary accord is not reached — a threat that may lead the Obama administration to solidify what it can get now and seek more in the next three months. | Also missing is Congress, which has pledged to impose additional sanctions if a preliminary accord is not reached — a threat that may lead the Obama administration to solidify what it can get now and seek more in the next three months. |
| The nations involved in the talks with Iran are Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. Mr. Lavrov was the only chief diplomat from those countries who was not present here on Tuesday morning, and it had been thought that he would return if an accord was likely to be announced. | The nations involved in the talks with Iran are Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. Mr. Lavrov was the only chief diplomat from those countries who was not present here on Tuesday morning, and it had been thought that he would return if an accord was likely to be announced. |
| Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, reinforced the sense of progress when he said Friday morning that the talks had been in something of a crisis but that negotiators seemed to have settled on “a bit of a new approach.” | Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, reinforced the sense of progress when he said Friday morning that the talks had been in something of a crisis but that negotiators seemed to have settled on “a bit of a new approach.” |
| But if an accord is announced on Tuesday, as seems increasingly likely, it may be as noteworthy for what it leaves out as for what it includes. | But if an accord is announced on Tuesday, as seems increasingly likely, it may be as noteworthy for what it leaves out as for what it includes. |
| The aim of the political accord is to define the main elements of a more comprehensive and detailed agreement that is to be completed by the end of June. | The aim of the political accord is to define the main elements of a more comprehensive and detailed agreement that is to be completed by the end of June. |
| The issues the negotiators have been struggling to resolve include the pace at which United Nations sanctions would be lifted, restrictions on research and development related to new types of centrifuges, and the length of the agreement. | The issues the negotiators have been struggling to resolve include the pace at which United Nations sanctions would be lifted, restrictions on research and development related to new types of centrifuges, and the length of the agreement. |
| Yet another issue was highlighted on Sunday when Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said that Iran had no intention of disposing of its nuclear stockpile by shipping the fuel out of the country, an arrangement the United States has long sought. | Yet another issue was highlighted on Sunday when Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said that Iran had no intention of disposing of its nuclear stockpile by shipping the fuel out of the country, an arrangement the United States has long sought. |