Iran edges closer to nuclear agreement

Negotiators at the Iran nuclear talks plan to announce today that they have reached a historic deal capping nearly a decade of diplomacy that would curb Iran’s atomic programme in return for sanctions relief, two diplomats said yesterday.

The envoys said a provisional agreement may be reached even earlier — by late last night. However, they warned that the final details of the pact were still being worked out and a formal agreement must still be reviewed by leaders in the capitals of Iran and the six world powers at the talks.

Senior US and Iranian officials suggested, however, that there was not enough time to reach a provisional deal by the end of yesterday.