International negotiators made "significant progress" in overnight meetings but have not yet completed the preliminary deal they have been seeking to curb Iran's nuclear program, Iran's foreign minister said Thursday morning.
As talks between Iran and six world powers entered their eighth straight day, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the diplomats had narrowed their differences in overnight wrangling between Secretary of State John F. Kerry, the Iranian team and European officials.
He said he and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini have begun preparing a press statement for an announcement that was likely to be made later Thursday. It was unclear whether the announcement would outline an agreement or simply end this round of talks.
In another potentially positive sign, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius returned to this lakeside city late Wednesday, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier canceled a trip to the Baltic region that had been delayed to remain at the negotiations. If there is an announcement of a deal Thursday, at least some of the foreign ministers would want to be present.
The diplomats are seeking a preliminary outline of a deal that would ease sanctions on Iran if it accepts restrictions aimed at preventing if from obtaining a nuclear weapon. If they complete the first-stage agreement here, they hope to fill in all details of a comprehensive deal by June 30.
"We are moving," Zarif declared earlier Thursday morning, as he emerged from long hours of talks just before 6 a.m.
Marie Harf, Kerry's spokeswoman, said on Twitter that the session was "truly an all nighter." After more than eight hours of talks, the diplomats broke for about three hours of sleep, then resumed their meetings.
Diplomats cautioned that the talks, which have veered between optimisim and gloom all week, could again stall. The negotiations have been slowed by differences between the six powers and Iran, and differences among the world powers.
Fabius, returning from Paris Wednesday night, said negotiators remained "a few yards" from the finish line.
The Obama administration is under enormous pressure to demonstrate progress in the 18-month-old talks before Congress returns from break on April 14. Skeptical lawmakers say that unless they see proof of progress they will seek votes on two measures the administration believes could sink the talks.
Kerry still has two weeks to nail down the preliminary deal. But it may be easier to try to solve differences now than to try to bring diplomats back to Switzerland next week.
The White House, in an acknowledgement that the talks were skirting the edge of collapse, said Wednesday that President Obama was prepared to take a new approach if progress was not possible.
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said that while U.S. officials still see signs of progress, "if we are in a situation where we sense that the talks have stalled, then … the U.S. and the international community is prepared to walk away."
But for the administration, the challenge is not just to get an agreement, but to reach one that demonstrates that the two sides are resolving the big issues that stand between them.
Administration officials have promised that they would explain to the public the decisions they have made. Earnest has said U.S. officials would describe how they intend to deal with dangers presented by the major Iranian nuclear sites.
But it appears likely that key issues, such as the handling of Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium, will remain unresolved as the negotiations enter their final months.
Some analysts – including former members of Obama's team – have said they are concerned that the deal could be less than advertised. That would further complicate the administration's struggle to sell the deal to Congress and allies, when it is already under fire from critics.
Kerry is fabled for his dogged approach to diplomacy. During his last attempt to work out a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, Israeli officials joked ruefully about Kerry's habit of showing up and simply waiting in hopes of wearing down the other side.
This may not be an auspicious week for a deal. A deal signed Wednesday might have been derided as the April Fool's agreement. And Thursday is the 13th day of the Iranian new year, Zeizdah Bedar, considered an unlucky day for Iranians.
Special correspondent Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran contributed to this article.
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