
-
'I have hope': Vietnam Babylift survivor's search for birth mother
-
US climate assessment thrown into doubt as Trump dismisses authors
-
Venezuelan president slams US over little girl's 'abduction'
-
Hard-right upstarts eye big gains in local UK polls
-
Skulls, smoke and spirits: Thai ceremony for the unclaimed dead
-
Canada's Carney: political newcomer who says he's best in a crisis
-
Cavaliers scorch Heat to seal series sweep
-
Dead salmon create election stink on Australian island
-
Mic check: Singapore's podcast boom amplifies opposition voices
-
Markets rise as traders gear up for earnings, key jobs data
-
Congress passes 'revenge porn' ban, sending it to Trump
-
Less-thirsty rice offers hope in drought-stricken Chile
-
Yamal stardust could give Barca edge on Inter Milan
-
Trump targets US 'sanctuary cities' in migrant crackdown
-
Mexico agrees to send water to US after Trump threatens tariffs
-
US lost seven multi-million-dollar drones in Yemen area since March
-
Bucks blow as Lillard suffers torn Achilles: team
-
Putin orders three-day truce amid new US warnings
-
Real Madrid's Ancelotti agrees Brazil deal - reports
-
ChatGPT adds shopping help, intensifying Google rivalry
-
Commanders heading back to D.C. after inking $3.7 bln stadium deal
-
US warplane falls off aircraft carrier into Red Sea
-
Feisty Arteta urges Arsenal fans to 'bring boots' to PSG Champions League clash
-
Bucks blow as Lillard suffers ruptured Achilles: reports
-
No power, no phone, no transport -- Spain in a panic
-
US warplane went overboard into Red Sea: Navy
-
'Like a dream' as IPL's 14-year-old Suryavanshi becomes youngest to hit T20 ton
-
Luis Enrique says PSG have improved since October Arsenal loss
-
UN food, refugee agencies warn of huge cuts after funding losses
-
Trump trade war dominates BRICS meeting in Brazil
-
Rashford expected to miss rest of Aston Villa season
-
IPL's 14-year-old Suryavanshi youngest to hit T20 ton as Rajasthan rule
-
Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong to join Cannes film festival jury: organisers
-
Klopp congratulates Liverpool on Premier League triumph
-
Violence-weary Trinidadians vote in general election
-
Abuse scandal in focus in search for new pope
-
Prince William and Kate mark wedding anniversary in Scotland
-
Amazon set for launch of Starlink-rival satellites
-
London mayor Sadiq Khan targets Olympic history for city
-
Stock markets diverge amid trade hopes, ahead of earnings
-
Canada votes as Trump renews US takeover push
-
Massive blackout hits all of Spain and Portugal
-
BRICS ministers meet in Brazil over Trump trade policies
-
Trump escalates immigration crackdown to mark 100 days
-
Outkast, White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper among Rock Hall inductees
-
Putin orders three-day truce in May but Ukraine asks 'Why wait?'
-
Eubank Jr discharged from hospital following boxing grudge match
-
China deploys army of fake NGOs at UN to intimidate critics: media probe
-
Empty shelves? US Treasury secretary not concerned 'at present'
-
Slot told Liverpool they could win the league at season start: Konate

Iran nuclear talks nearing 'decision point'
Several world powers have indicated that a deal -- at least in principle -- to revive the Iran nuclear accord may be just days away, but experts warn that failure still cannot be ruled out.
The 2015 accord had offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, but the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed heavy economic sanctions, prompting Iran to start ramping up its nuclear activities.
The outline of a new deal appears to be on the table in talks which have been held in Vienna since late November between signatories Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia -- and the United States indirectly.
"The West, Russia, and China appear to be more aligned than at any prior point," said Henry Rome, analyst with the Eurasia Group.
The strategy of the world powers appears to be "pressuring Iran to bring the talks to a conclusion," the analyst said, adding that the negotiations appeared to nearing a "decision point".
A diplomatic source in Vienna confirmed this week that there had been "advances" in the talks.
The US State Department said on Thursday that "substantial progress" had been made, and that an agreement was possible within days if Iran "shows seriousness".
The day before French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had said a deal was "within grasp" but that "a serious crisis" was still possible if Iran refused to accept the proposals of the other parties.
Experts believe Iran is only a few weeks away from having enough fissile material to build a nuclear weapon -- even if it would take several more complicated steps to create an actual bomb.
Iran has always denied it wanted to acquire atomic weapons, and on Thursday supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called such claims "absurd".
- Points of contention -
The stumbling blocks in the way of a new deal have long been clear.
The points of contention "have been on the table from the very beginning," said Ali Vaez, Iran specialist at the International Crisis Group.
They include which sanctions will be lifted and whether Washington can offer Tehran any guarantees against the possibility of a future US president repeating Trump's move.
Tehran also wants to know that companies and banks venturing back into Iran will not be penalised by potential future American sanctions.
"I think both sides believed that the other would blink and give more concessions on these issues at the last minute," Vaez said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said this week that his country wanted "political statements" from the parliaments of the other signatories -- including the US Congress -- underlining their commitment to the deal.
"Iran's commitments are as clear as a mathematical formula," he said.
Vaez said that "on the question of scope of sanctions relief, I think there is more room for manoeuvre on the West's side."
"But the reality is that on the question of guarantees, there's really nothing that the US can do and offer," he added, given the difficulty of binding the hands of a future administration.
- Best and worst case scenarios -
Echoing Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's top negotiator Ali Bagheri called on the other parties to "avoid intransigence".
"We are closer than ever to an agreement; nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, though," he tweeted earlier this week.
Two scenarios are possible in the current conditions, according to Vaez.
"If, in the next few days, the Iranians don't back off from some of their demands, then I think what you're likely to see is a Western walkout," he said.
That could lead to a resolution criticising Iran being put forward at the next Board of Governors meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency, due to begin on March 7.
Vaez said this could be the first step in a "cycle of escalation".
However, faced with multiple security crises in other parts of the world, Vaez said "the last thing the Biden administration wants" is a nuclear proliferation headache in Iran.
The more optimistic scenario would entail "a breakthrough in... the next four or five days" opening the door for a deal being "announced towards the end of this month or early March".
According to analyst Rome, even the "soft deadline" of March 7 may slip by, "especially if Iran continues talking, given significant reluctance in the West to pivot to an alternative strategy".
G.M.Castelo--PC