As you probably know, today is the deadline for a “framework understanding” among the US, the UK, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran concerning Tehran’s nuclear program. And according to the Associated Press, negotiators will release a joint statement any minute now that records areas of agreement, and extends talks for three more months on remaining areas of difficulty:
Kerry and others said the sides have made some progress, with Iran considering demands for further cuts to its uranium enrichment program but pushing back on how long it must limit technology it could use to make atomic arms. In addition to sticking points on research and development, differences remain on the timing and scope of sanctions removal, the officials said.
This will come as a disappointment to US Republicans who have been openly cheerleading for the failure of the talks. But it may not upset the Republican rank-and-file so much; a new poll from WaPo shows that despite several consecutive years of lockstep agitation against any diplomatic accommodation with Iran by all but a very few Republican politicians, a plurality of self-identified Republicans and self-identified conservatives favor the kind of deal under discussion.
