Interim deal on Iran nuclear standoff may be close

Oren Dorell | USA TODAY

Iran says its offer to limit some nuclear activities has been accepted by world powers in Geneva, who have offered to relax crippling economic sanctions in return.

"Today, they clearly said that they accept the proposed framework by Iran," Abbas Araghchi, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, told Iranian state TV, according to the Associated Press.

Araghchi did not provide details of Iran's proposal, and said he expects an agreement on the details Friday. The Iranian announcement came as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee said all options were still being reviewed.

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., said he plans to decide on whether to move forward on a new Iran sanctions bill until after the talks in Geneva are over and he's heard their result.

As Johnson made that statement, word emerged that Secretary of State John Kerry will make an unexpected trip to Geneva on Friday. While there, he will meet with Iran foreign minister Javad Zarif.

The White House has opposed the strengthening of sanctions because it says the move may hurt chances of getting the Iranians to negotiate an end to the standoff. But supporters such as Johnson say that is the opposite of what will happen. They say increased sanctions will make the Iranians realize they must compromise or suffer economically.

U.S. negotiators in Geneva for the talks said they would offer Iran sanctions relief if the Islamic Republic stops expanding its nuclear program as talks continue for several months on a comprehensive solution to its nuclear standoff with world powers.

The Obama administration said before talks resumed Thursday it would ease sanctions on Iran in a way it says would be easily reversible.

In return, Iran would have to agree to limit the level to which it enriches uranium, its stockpiles of nuclear fuel, the capacity of its nuclear facilities and allow foreign inspectors to verify it is keeping its word, according to the White House.

U.S. negotiators, led by Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, will meet again Friday with Iran, together with negotiators from the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday such an interim deal would allow Iran to retain the ability to build nuclear weapons and should be rejected.

"Israel is completely opposed to these proposals," Netanyahu said in Jerusalem, according to the Jerusalem Post. "I believe that adopting them would be a mistake of historic proportions and they should be completely rejected."

Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at research and producing medical isotopes, and is allowed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that it signed. The USA and its allies in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere say Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program.

Both the USA and Israel have said they will use military force if negotiations fail to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Netanyahu reminded U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who is visiting Israel, the West Bank and Jordan this week, of "Death to America" chants in Tehran on Monday, when the 34th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis was celebrated.

"I believe that that is the real face of the regime. A regime like that cannot be allowed to have the most dangerous weapon in the world," Netanyahu said, according to Israel Hayom newspaper.

An interim deal has been on the table for years as a way to keep the talks moving toward an eventual settlement, said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security.

"Some of the European partners are afraid that if this doesn't work, the next step is the military option," said Albright, a former inspector with the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Europeans "are more comfortable with this approach of an interim deal first and preserve the possibility to negotiate."

Any final deal, however, would have to lengthen Iran's "breakout time," Albright said, referring to the time Iran would need to secretly produce enough uranium for a bomb, if it made a decision to do so.

He said Iran would have to agree to several steps that would assure the international community:

• Reduce its uranium centrifuges from 19,000 to 9,000, or fewer if counting more advanced centrifuges that have been installed but not turned on, and disable its heavy water reactor under construction in Arak.

• Reduce Iranian stockpiles of uranium enriched to 20% purity that can easily be converted into weapons-grade uranium that is 90% pure.

• Provide U.N. inspectors access to now-secret plants where centrifuges are produced, and other monitoring that would help international monitors' detect secret centrifuge sites.