Iran, world powers closing in on preliminary nuclear deal, diplomats say

WASHINGTON -- Iran and six world powers appeared to close in on a preliminary agreement in Geneva on Thursday that would begin to limit Tehran’s nuclear development after a decade of frustrating negotiations, according to diplomats.

They said the proposed framework agreement, which could yet falter, would require Iran to halt at least some current enrichment activities in exchange for partial easing of economic sanctions. They described the expected accord as a significant first step intended to buy up to a year to pursue a comprehensive final agreement.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry is traveling in the Middle East and is expected to fly to Geneva to sign off on the deal when the latest round of talks wrap up late Friday or Saturday, officials said.

President Obama has vowed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and he appointed Kerry to supervise the talks, which resumed this fall amid the easing of tensions with Tehran after the election of Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate, as Iran’s president.

Diplomats said they hoped to reach a joint statement that lays out steps each side will take in coming months, that says whether Iran will be allowed any enrichment capabilities at the end of the talks, and that describes the goal of ensuring that any nuclear material in Iran is used only to generate energy or for other peaceful purposes.

The agreement also may set a schedule for completion of the talks.

Negotiators from Iran and the six powers -- the United States, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China -- met as a group Thursday morning at the United Nations’ Palais des Nations, and reconvened in smaller groups in the afternoon. The Iranian and U.S. teams, considered the core players, then met privately for an hour in the late afternoon, U.S. officials said.

“These talks are progressing much better and faster than many had anticipated,� said Ali Vaez, an Iran watcher in Istanbul, Turkey, with the International Crisis Group.

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