This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/jul/14/iran-nuclear-talks-deal-historic-vienna-live-updates
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Iran nuclear talks: historic deal agreed in Vienna – live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.34pm AEST08:34 | |
| The key detail to watch out for in the deal is the inspection arrangements for suspects sites, according to Dennis Ross a former adviser on Iran to both presidents Bush and Obama. | |
| The US have been trying to secure “no notice” inspections of nuclear sites in the face of resistance from Iran. | |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ross outlined a number of questions he was seeking answers to in the small print of the agreement. He asked: “How much control do the Iranians have over that [inspections]? Are they able to affect the timing of that. When the Iranians talk about managed access [to those sites] does that mean that basically they are in a position to have time [discrepancy] to resist access to the site? The more we know about those questions the more comfortable I will be.” | |
| Former UN weapons inspectors Scott Ritter, who had warned that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction in the run up to the Iraq war, says Iran has been right to resist “no notice” inspections. | |
| Writing in the London Review of Books he says: | |
| Iran has been put in the impossible position of having to prove a negative. If it accepts inspections based on allegations it knows to be baseless, then it’s opening itself up to an endless cycle of foreign intrusion into its military and security infrastructure, and the inability of inspectors to discover something of relevance will only reinforce the belief that something is being hidden. We saw this happen before in Iraq, and the end result was a war based on flawed intelligence and baseless accusations that left many thousands dead and a region in turmoil. | |
| 5.32pm AEST08:32 | |
| An Israeli Cabinet minister has said the deal gives Iran a “licence to kill”. | |
| Miri Regev, culture and sports minister and a former military spokeswoman, said the deal was “bad for the free world [and] bad for humanity”. | |
| Regev called for further lobbying against the deal reached in Vienna and said the US Congress could still block it. | |
| 5.28pm AEST08:28 | |
| The National Iranian American Council has welcomed the deal. In a statement, president Trita Parsi said: | |
| Today, diplomacy has triumphed and war is off the table. The United States and Iran have turned the tide on decades of enmity and instead have secured a nuclear deal that promises a better and brighter future … | |
| NIAC congratulates President Obama and President Rouhani, Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Zarif, and all of the diplomats that have showed the courage and confidence to undertake these negotiations for peacefully resolving the decades-old nuclear dispute. History will look kindly on their efforts. | |
| But the statement warns: | |
| Our negotiators have done their job to win a strong nuclear deal that prevents an Iranian nuclear weapon, all the while avoiding a catastrophic war. Now is the time for Congress to do theirs. | |
| Make no mistake: if Congress rejects this good deal with Iran, there will be no better deal forthcoming and Congress will be left owning an unnecessary war. | |
| 5.22pm AEST08:22 | |
| On timings, we now hear that EU officials have clarified that the formal announcement will be made at noon (Vienna time: that’s 10am GMT/11am BST/6am EDT/8pm AEST) at the press conference at the Austrian centre, and not at the plenary at the UN 90 minutes earlier. | |
| 5.16pm AEST08:16 | |
| The Guardian’s Saeed Kamal Deghan says the deal will be welcomed in Iran: | |
| Today is a rare moment in a decade when Iranian people and their state are largely on one side together celebrating a national achievement. | |
| Although not by everybody: | |
| Not everyone is happy: ex-president Banisadr, speaking to me, echoes hardliners calling the expected deal a defeat for Iran and a surrender. | |
| That’s Abolhassan Banisadr, first president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, from 1980 to 1981. He now lives in exile, near Paris. | |
| Updated at 5.20pm AEST | |
| 5.10pm AEST08:10 | |
| Details are emerging of possible details of the agreement – I should stress again that we have not yet seen the deal officially. | |
| But the Guardian’s Julian Borger, who is in Vienna and has been following the years of twists and turns of the negotiations, sends this insight: | |
| I understand the agreement involves arrangements for IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspections of suspect sites, including military sites, but it will be ‘managed access’, rather than the unfettered access reported by Reuters. | |
| Managed access is envisaged under an IAEA additional protocol inspection regime. If the inspectors have reason to believe there is undeclared nuclear activity at a site, it would present its reasons for wanting to visit it. | |
| Some form of committee made up of representatives of a range of IAEA member states will adjudicate access. It would not be access ‘anywhere, any time’. | |
| 5.00pm AEST08:00 | |
| Confirmed: a deal has been agreed | |
| Julian Borger in Vienna confirms that an agreement has been secured: | |
| A comprehensive deal on Iran’s nuclear programme has been done, diplomats in Vienna said, bringing to an end a 12-year standoff that had threatened to trigger a new war in the Middle East. | |
| We will have more details as they emerge. | |
| In the meantime, here is our latest full report: | |
| Related: Iran nuclear deal reached in Vienna | |
| 4.49pm AEST07:49 | 4.49pm AEST07:49 |
| Reuters is reporting that an Iranian diplomat has confirmed to the news agency that a deal has been reached. | Reuters is reporting that an Iranian diplomat has confirmed to the news agency that a deal has been reached. |
| And according to Associated Press, a senior western diplomat also says an agreement has been reached. | And according to Associated Press, a senior western diplomat also says an agreement has been reached. |
| We are still waiting for official confirmation of this, but it is looking increasingly certain that the announcement in the next few hours will see the unveiling of an agreement on Iran’s nuclear transparency and the lifting of sanctions against Tehran. | We are still waiting for official confirmation of this, but it is looking increasingly certain that the announcement in the next few hours will see the unveiling of an agreement on Iran’s nuclear transparency and the lifting of sanctions against Tehran. |
| 4.44pm AEST07:44 | 4.44pm AEST07:44 |
| No sign of the foreign ministers yet so far this morning, but preparations are underway for their upcoming announcement: | No sign of the foreign ministers yet so far this morning, but preparations are underway for their upcoming announcement: |
| آماده سازی مرکز رسانهای وین؛ جایی که وزرای خارجه قرار است توافق هستهای را اعلام کنند #IranDealVienna pic.twitter.com/8ZBdlXdznr | آماده سازی مرکز رسانهای وین؛ جایی که وزرای خارجه قرار است توافق هستهای را اعلام کنند #IranDealVienna pic.twitter.com/8ZBdlXdznr |
| (Translation – courtesy of Bing, so shout in the comments below if something’s amiss – “Preparation of Media Center Vienna, where foreign ministers of the nuclear agreement are supposed to announce #IranDealVienna”). | (Translation – courtesy of Bing, so shout in the comments below if something’s amiss – “Preparation of Media Center Vienna, where foreign ministers of the nuclear agreement are supposed to announce #IranDealVienna”). |
| Update: thanks to Ali Foroughi below the line for this tweak to the translation: | Update: thanks to Ali Foroughi below the line for this tweak to the translation: |
| Preparation of Media Center Vienna, where foreign ministers of the nuclear agreement are supposed to announce | Preparation of Media Center Vienna, where foreign ministers of the nuclear agreement are supposed to announce |
| a bit of correction: Preparation of Media center in Vienna where foreign ministers are suppose to announce the nuclear agreement. | a bit of correction: Preparation of Media center in Vienna where foreign ministers are suppose to announce the nuclear agreement. |
| Updated at 4.53pm AEST | Updated at 4.53pm AEST |
| 4.35pm AEST07:35 | 4.35pm AEST07:35 |
| Rumours that the deal includes an agreement to allow inspections of Iranian military sites have been denounced by Iranian state TV, Associated Press reports: | Rumours that the deal includes an agreement to allow inspections of Iranian military sites have been denounced by Iranian state TV, Associated Press reports: |
| Iranian state television is rejecting the suggestion that military site inspections will be included in a final nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers. | Iranian state television is rejecting the suggestion that military site inspections will be included in a final nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers. |
| In a report early on Tuesday, state television said it was quoting a source close to Iranian nuclear negotiators as saying: “Some Western media is resorting to propaganda aimed at implying that Iran’s red lines, including inspections to military sites, has not been observed in the final” deal. | In a report early on Tuesday, state television said it was quoting a source close to Iranian nuclear negotiators as saying: “Some Western media is resorting to propaganda aimed at implying that Iran’s red lines, including inspections to military sites, has not been observed in the final” deal. |
| The report also said floating that idea was meant to make the deal look like a win for the west. | The report also said floating that idea was meant to make the deal look like a win for the west. |
| A senior diplomat earlier told the Associated Press that the draft final deal includes a compromise between Washington and Tehran that would allow United Nations inspectors to press for visits to Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring duties. | A senior diplomat earlier told the Associated Press that the draft final deal includes a compromise between Washington and Tehran that would allow United Nations inspectors to press for visits to Iranian military sites as part of their monitoring duties. |
| 4.22pm AEST07:22 | 4.22pm AEST07:22 |
| My colleague Julian Borger sends this additional update from Vienna: | My colleague Julian Borger sends this additional update from Vienna: |
| A formal statement and a photo-opp will be held at about 10.30am at Vienna’s UN centre, the headquarters of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). | A formal statement and a photo-opp will be held at about 10.30am at Vienna’s UN centre, the headquarters of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). |
| Then a full press conference will be held at the next door Austria Centre, a vast convention centre, at noon. | Then a full press conference will be held at the next door Austria Centre, a vast convention centre, at noon. |
| It is quite possible that before the press conference, presidents Obama and Rouhani will make their own statements in the capitals. | It is quite possible that before the press conference, presidents Obama and Rouhani will make their own statements in the capitals. |
| The announcements are likely to be wrapped up this morning, as Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is reportedly keen to leave Vienna before noon. | The announcements are likely to be wrapped up this morning, as Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov is reportedly keen to leave Vienna before noon. |
| 4.11pm AEST07:11 | 4.11pm AEST07:11 |
| Confirmation of press conference today | Confirmation of press conference today |
| Marie Harf, senior adviser to US secretary of state John Kerry, has just confirmed that a plenary meeting of the P5+1 and Iran will take place at 10.30am local time (8.30am GMT, 9.30am BST, 4.30am EDT, 6.30pm AEST), followed by a press conference: | Marie Harf, senior adviser to US secretary of state John Kerry, has just confirmed that a plenary meeting of the P5+1 and Iran will take place at 10.30am local time (8.30am GMT, 9.30am BST, 4.30am EDT, 6.30pm AEST), followed by a press conference: |
| #IranTalks UPDATE: Final plenary of EU/P5+1 & Iran at 10:30 am Vienna time at UN. Will be followed by a press conference at Austrian Center. | #IranTalks UPDATE: Final plenary of EU/P5+1 & Iran at 10:30 am Vienna time at UN. Will be followed by a press conference at Austrian Center. |
| 4.04pm AEST07:04 | 4.04pm AEST07:04 |
| The other potential obstacle to any agreement reached today could be US Congress, reports the Guardian’s Washington Bureau chief, Dan Roberts: | The other potential obstacle to any agreement reached today could be US Congress, reports the Guardian’s Washington Bureau chief, Dan Roberts: |
| Any deal that reaches Congress between 10 July and 7 September is subject to a 60-day review period by lawmakers rather than the faster 30-day treatment it would receive if it landed outside the summer months. | Any deal that reaches Congress between 10 July and 7 September is subject to a 60-day review period by lawmakers rather than the faster 30-day treatment it would receive if it landed outside the summer months. |
| The White House remains confident it can persuade enough lawmakers to back what its negotiators come up with regardless of the length of the review period, but the added time is prompting both opponents and supporters of the deal to step up their lobbying efforts in anticipation of intense debate in Washington over whether it does enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. | The White House remains confident it can persuade enough lawmakers to back what its negotiators come up with regardless of the length of the review period, but the added time is prompting both opponents and supporters of the deal to step up their lobbying efforts in anticipation of intense debate in Washington over whether it does enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. |
| You can read the full report here: | You can read the full report here: |
| Related: Think the Iran nuclear talks are taking forever? Wait until Congress sees a deal | Related: Think the Iran nuclear talks are taking forever? Wait until Congress sees a deal |
| 3.47pm AEST06:47 | 3.47pm AEST06:47 |
| Not everyone will welcome a deal, when it comes. | Not everyone will welcome a deal, when it comes. |
| Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week tweeted that Iran was more dangerous than Islamic State, and threatened to “take over the world”: | Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu last week tweeted that Iran was more dangerous than Islamic State, and threatened to “take over the world”: |
| Iran's increasing aggression is more dangerous than that of ISIS, and the true goal of this aggression in the end is to take over the world. | Iran's increasing aggression is more dangerous than that of ISIS, and the true goal of this aggression in the end is to take over the world. |
| Netanyahu’s office has since opened a fresh Twitter account in his name in Farsi, with the stated aim of engaging the Iranian people directly. | Netanyahu’s office has since opened a fresh Twitter account in his name in Farsi, with the stated aim of engaging the Iranian people directly. |
| He has tweeted only twice so far from the @israelipm_farsi account, including this criticism of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani: | He has tweeted only twice so far from the @israelipm_farsi account, including this criticism of Iranian president Hassan Rouhani: |
| خامنهای گفته است ایران باید فارق از توافق با آمریکا مبارزه کند، در حالی که روحانی تظاهرات ابراز تنفر را رهبری میکند pic.twitter.com/eaP6EarwyX | خامنهای گفته است ایران باید فارق از توافق با آمریکا مبارزه کند، در حالی که روحانی تظاهرات ابراز تنفر را رهبری میکند pic.twitter.com/eaP6EarwyX |
| (A translation, courtesy of Associated Press: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “has said Iran should fight the US regardless of the agreement, while Rouhani leads demonstrations expressing hatred”.) | (A translation, courtesy of Associated Press: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “has said Iran should fight the US regardless of the agreement, while Rouhani leads demonstrations expressing hatred”.) |
| Netanyahu has lobbied against the prospective deal, saying it would leave too much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact. On Monday, he accused world powers of being ready to make an agreement “at any price”. | Netanyahu has lobbied against the prospective deal, saying it would leave too much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure intact. On Monday, he accused world powers of being ready to make an agreement “at any price”. |
| Defence minister Moshe Yaalon added that in the event of a “bad nuclear deal”, Israel would be forced to “defend itself, by itself”. | Defence minister Moshe Yaalon added that in the event of a “bad nuclear deal”, Israel would be forced to “defend itself, by itself”. |
| Updated at 3.49pm AEST | Updated at 3.49pm AEST |
| 3.30pm AEST06:30 | 3.30pm AEST06:30 |
| Claire Phipps | Claire Phipps |
| How did we get here? | How did we get here? |
| For those interested in the long, 12-year path to today’s expected agreement, take a look at this timeline, with its many mentions of deadlines set, missed and extended: | For those interested in the long, 12-year path to today’s expected agreement, take a look at this timeline, with its many mentions of deadlines set, missed and extended: |
| Related: Iran nuclear talks: timeline | Related: Iran nuclear talks: timeline |
| The so-called P5+1 – the foreign ministers of the US, UK, France, China and Russia (the five permanent members of the UN security council), plus Germany – have been engaged with the Iranian delegation in the latest bout of talks for 18 days now, including Tuesday morning’s last-minute negotiations. | The so-called P5+1 – the foreign ministers of the US, UK, France, China and Russia (the five permanent members of the UN security council), plus Germany – have been engaged with the Iranian delegation in the latest bout of talks for 18 days now, including Tuesday morning’s last-minute negotiations. |
| Talks have frequently continued late into the night; here’s a shot of the P5+1 looking surprisingly chipper a few hours ago: | Talks have frequently continued late into the night; here’s a shot of the P5+1 looking surprisingly chipper a few hours ago: |
| Smiles all around at P5+1 meeting in the early morning hours of July 14 #IranTalksVienna via @StateDept pic.twitter.com/pb8jJshp9Y | Smiles all around at P5+1 meeting in the early morning hours of July 14 #IranTalksVienna via @StateDept pic.twitter.com/pb8jJshp9Y |
| 3.19pm AEST06:19 | 3.19pm AEST06:19 |
| Matthew Weaver | Matthew Weaver |
| The New Yorker has a useful primer podcast on the talks and the regional and global implications. | The New Yorker has a useful primer podcast on the talks and the regional and global implications. |
| In it commentator Steve Coll pays tribute to how, during the talks, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has skilfully tried to reap the economic benefits of bringing Iran back in from the cold in the face of resistance from his hardline supporters in the security state. | In it commentator Steve Coll pays tribute to how, during the talks, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has skilfully tried to reap the economic benefits of bringing Iran back in from the cold in the face of resistance from his hardline supporters in the security state. |
| Robin Wright, joint fellow at the US Institute of Peace and Woodrow Wilson Center, said that for all the shortcomings of the deal, Iran will be prevented from achieving nuclear “break-out” for at least a year. | Robin Wright, joint fellow at the US Institute of Peace and Woodrow Wilson Center, said that for all the shortcomings of the deal, Iran will be prevented from achieving nuclear “break-out” for at least a year. |
| 3.10pm AEST06:10 | 3.10pm AEST06:10 |
| What happens when? | What happens when? |
| Julian Borger has this update on how the morning in Vienna is expected to pan out: | Julian Borger has this update on how the morning in Vienna is expected to pan out: |
| An announcement on the agreement would come on the 18th day of almost uninterrupted negotiations in Vienna, involving foreign ministers from seven countries and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini. | An announcement on the agreement would come on the 18th day of almost uninterrupted negotiations in Vienna, involving foreign ministers from seven countries and the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini. |
| The ministers – from Iran, the US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany – are expected to issue a statement and appear for a photo mid-morning, followed some time later by a press conference. | The ministers – from Iran, the US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany – are expected to issue a statement and appear for a photo mid-morning, followed some time later by a press conference. |
| At some point US president Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, will make statements from their capitals. | At some point US president Barack Obama and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, will make statements from their capitals. |
| It is not clear how much of the estimated 100 pages of text, including five annexes, will be published on Tuesday. | It is not clear how much of the estimated 100 pages of text, including five annexes, will be published on Tuesday. |
| I’ll bring you clearer timings when we have them. | I’ll bring you clearer timings when we have them. |
| 2.59pm AEST05:59 | 2.59pm AEST05:59 |
| Opening summary | Opening summary |
| Claire Phipps | Claire Phipps |
| Welcome to live coverage on the expected announcement of a deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme after 17 days of negotiations in Vienna. | Welcome to live coverage on the expected announcement of a deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme after 17 days of negotiations in Vienna. |
| It’s important to stress that we cannot say for certain yet that there is a deal. Developments overnight in Vienna seem strongly to suggest that a breakthrough has been made, but we await a formal announcement. | It’s important to stress that we cannot say for certain yet that there is a deal. Developments overnight in Vienna seem strongly to suggest that a breakthrough has been made, but we await a formal announcement. |
| Talks continued late into Monday night in Vienna, past the midnight deadline. It’s currently 7am Tuesday there (5am GMT, 6am BST, 1am EDT, 3pm AEST). | Talks continued late into Monday night in Vienna, past the midnight deadline. It’s currently 7am Tuesday there (5am GMT, 6am BST, 1am EDT, 3pm AEST). |
| Journalists in Vienna have been asked to assemble around now to be transported to a press conference, due to take place later this morning. | Journalists in Vienna have been asked to assemble around now to be transported to a press conference, due to take place later this morning. |
| The Guardian’s diplomatic editor Julian Borger is right there in Vienna, from where he has been following every cough and spit of the negotiations for the last 17 days, and he’ll be providing further updates and commentary. | The Guardian’s diplomatic editor Julian Borger is right there in Vienna, from where he has been following every cough and spit of the negotiations for the last 17 days, and he’ll be providing further updates and commentary. |
| You can follow him on Twitter @julianborger. I’ll also post key updates @Claire_Phipps. | You can follow him on Twitter @julianborger. I’ll also post key updates @Claire_Phipps. |
| And I’ll be covering all the developments of the day here, live. | And I’ll be covering all the developments of the day here, live. |
| You can read Julian’s latest dispatch from Vienna here: | You can read Julian’s latest dispatch from Vienna here: |
| Related: Iran nuclear deal expected to be announced in Vienna | Related: Iran nuclear deal expected to be announced in Vienna |