On deadline day for Iran nuclear talks, U.S. puts the odds of a deal at 50-50
The self-imposed deadline for a framework deal on Iran's nuclear program is midnight Tuesday (6 p.m. on the U.S. East Coast), and State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf puts the odds of a deal at 50-50. And while there is some speculation that the talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, could continue into Wednesday, "March 31 is the deadline," Harf told reporters. "It has to mean something. And the decisions don't get easier after March 31."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov — who is rejoining his counterparts from Iran, the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, and China on Tuesday — put the odds of success considerably higher. "They are probably not 100 percent but you can never be 100 percent certain of anything," he told Russian media before heading back to Lausanne for the final push. "The odds are quite 'doable' if none of the parties raise the stakes at the last minute." If an agreement is reached, the details won't have to be ironed out until the end of June.
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