PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gesturing as he speaks to reporters from a hotel balcony, July 10, 2015 (Reuters)

LATEST

UPDATE 2330 GMT: The Iranian Students News Agency reports that the final nuclear agreement will be announced within a few hours followed by a joint statement by Iranian Foreign Mohammad Javad Zarif and the European Union foreign policy head Federica Mogherini.

The statements are expected at 10:30 a.m. Vienna time (0830 GMT).

UPDATE 1730 GMT: Minutes after posting the hopeful tweet below, President Rouhani’s office has deleted the #IranDeal message.

Thirty minutes later, the office re-issued the tweet with the small but significant change of “if” there is an #IranDeal:

UPDATE 1610 GMT: Both President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have put out Twitter messages, using the hashtag #IranDeal, to express their hopes for a nuclear deal:

However, Zarif has said it will be at least one more day for that #IranDeal:

ORIGINAL ENTRY: After more than 12 years of disputes and negotiations, Iran and the 5+1 Powers (US, Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia) could reach an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear program on Monday.

Expectations have building this weekend as the two sides try to resolve the final points in an agreement and annexes of more than 100 pages. Diplomats from both Iran and the 5+1 said the discussions had narrowed to a “small number” of points.

However, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was cautious as talks resumed on Monday in Vienna:

Talks have reached the final breathtaking moments; certain issues still remain.

As long as these issues are not settled, one cannot say we have reached an agreement.

He continued, “I cannot promise that the [outstanding] issues will be resolved by tonight [Monday] or tomorrow night.”

Speaking at the end of talks on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, “We still have got work to do tomorrow. No deal today.”

Earlier in the day, as he went to Mass, US Secretary of State John Kerry was upbeat:

I think we’re getting to some real decisions. So I will say, because we have a few tough things to do, I remain hopeful. Hopeful.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov joined the discussions on Sunday, leaving China’s Wang Xi as the only Foreign Minister still absent from the negotiations.

Issues which remain to be resolved include arrangements for inspections of Iran’s nuclear and military sites; the timing of sanctions removal in relation to Iranian compliance; a Dispute Resolutions Committee to rule on any alleged violations of the deal, which could bring the re-imposition of sanctions; and the wording of a UN resolution accompanying the deal, including the status of a long-standing embargo on arms sales to Iran.

3rd Hearing in Trial of Washington Post Journalist Jason Rezaian

A third closed-door hearing was held on Monday in the trial of Iranian-American journalist Jason Rezaian on charges that include espionage.

The Iranian media are barred from reporting any details of the proceedings.

Rezaian was seized with his wife and fellow reporter, Yeganeh Salehi, and two other journalists last July. While the others were bailed, Rezaian — the Washington Post correspondent in Tehran since 2012 — was kept behind bars, with no access to a lawyer or information about the charges.

Rezaian’s family were prevented from hiring an attorney, but a court-appointed defender was finally appointed earlier this year and allowed a brief meeting with the journalist. Rezaian initially appeared in the Revolutionary Court in May.

Leaked information from trial indicates that evidence against Rezaian includes a visit he made to a US Consulate seeking a visa for his wife Salehi, a letter he wrote seeking a job in the new Obama administration in 2008, and assistance he gave fellow journalist Lara Setrakian.

See also Iran Feature: Media Behind Bars — Jason Rezaian and Tehran’s “Justice” for Journalists