Iran, world powers seek elusive nuclear deal before deadline

Iran and world powers face an uphill struggle today to break the deadlock in their high-stakes nuclear negotiations and secure a historic deal on the eve of a deadline.
"We're working hard," US Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday in Vienna, "and we hope we're making careful progress, but we have big gaps, we still have some serious gaps, which we're working to close."
Kerry, who on Friday postponed a trip to Paris to remain in Vienna for the talks, met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif yesterday afternoon, their fourth meeting in three days.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also in the Austrian capital, called this final weekend of talks, after months of negotiations, a "moment of truth".

At stake is a historic deal in which Iran would curb its disputed nuclear activities in exchange for broad relief from years of heavy international economic sanctions.
It could end a 12-year standoff that has even raised the prospect of Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Kerry spoke to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday by phone.

"The gap remains big... There now needs to be a political decision," an Iranian source told AFP on condition of anonymity, putting the onus on the world powers to make concessions.
The Iranian negotiators were hailed by officials in Tehran for respecting their country's "red lines."

A European source in the talks said there had been "no significant progress" and "the chances of getting a deal are pretty reduced".
"In order to get a deal the Iranians will have to budge in a rather substantial manner," he said. Discussions about a deadline extension could begin as early as today, he added.