Iran: P5+1 talks set to continue

Even as a deal appeared more out of reach with every tick toward midnight, Iran's leaders were apparently overconfident that negotiators had reached an accord with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, UK, Russia, France and China - plus Germany (P5+1).

"#IranDeal is the victory of diplomacy & mutual respect over the outdated paradigm of exclusion & coercion," President Hassan Rouhani wrote on Twitter late Monday. "And this is a good beginning." He quickly deleted the message, but not before keen-eyed journalists had caught sight of it.

An interim Joint Plan of Action passed in 2013 extended talks until November 2014, when negotiators agreed to give each other another seven months, until June 30, 2015, to iron out a joint comprehensive plan of action. However, that deadline was also extended and the US announced Monday that it would keep on talking - for now, or maybe as long as necessary.

Also sensing a possible deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who opposes a resolution that would allow a civilian nuclear program - opened a Twitter account in Farsi on Monday to complement his Hebrew and English avatars and reach out directly to Iranians. His gesture was not widely embraced.

'The Nuclear Feast'

Early Monday, Iran seemed set for an end-of-sanctions celebration. "Agreement by the end of today," read a headline in the Mardomsalari newspaper. The daily Asrar declared Monday the "Day of Destiny," and Ghanun told its readers to "Get Ready for the Nuclear Feast."

A gesture by Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, however, quelled those hopes. When a reporter asked Zarif whether both sides would make a final announcement by the end of Monday, he nodded - the Persian gesture for "no."

One of several sticking points seems to be how much access to allow inspectors. Iranian officials say too much access would allow inspectors to steal military secrets - tantamount to spying. P5+1 negotiators insist that a lack of real access would render any deal toothless.

Another major disagreement is how long certain remaining embargoes should last, such as the restrictions on the import of technology.

mkg/jil (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)