Kerry to meet Iran’s Zarif Thursday as deadline looms
US and Iran set for another round of talks on nuclear deal, while Israel continues to lobby against agreement
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WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State John Kerry is to return to Switzerland for talks Thursday with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on a deal to restrain Tehran’s nuclear program, his office said on Monday.
Kerry’s return to Lausanne will again feed speculation that the top world powers represented on the P5+1 contact group are nearing an agreement with Tehran, with a March 31 deadline to agree to the outlines of a deal looming.
Earlier, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said a “bad deal” was likely to be the final outcome of the nuclear talks, as Israel made a last-ditch effort to head off the controversial high-stakes agreement.
Steinitz, in France for consultations about the emerging agreement, told Reuters that Israel would do all it could to toughen any accord before talks resume this week.
“We think it’s going to be a bad, insufficient deal,” Steinitz said before meeting French officials in Paris. “It seems quite probable it will happen, unfortunately.”
Unable to find support from its US allies, Israel is turning to France to help head off what it sees as a bad and dangerous nuclear deal with Iran.
Paris has expressed skepticism over the deal being brokered between Iran and the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.
The US and Iran broke off nuclear negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Friday for consultations but they were expected to resume the make-or-break talks this week.
Both Iran and the US have reported substantial progress in the talks but also say gaps still remain. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday a final deal is possible and that “there is nothing that can’t be resolved.”
Iran and the six-nation group hope to reach a rough deal by the end of March and a final, permanent agreement by June 30.
The talks seek a permanent deal to cap Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The West fears it could allow Iran to build an atomic bomb.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.