The talks go on, but there's cause for cautious optimism.
CNN:
Diplomats and negotiators worked late as an initial deadline approached, but more time appeared necessary to reach a framework deal.
How long talks will continue was unclear. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius informed the Iranians that he will return to Paris at dawn Wednesday in an apparent effort to force the Iranians' hand, Western diplomatic sources told CNN.
Hamid Ba'idinejad from Iran's Foreign Ministry said earlier Tuesday there are no "artificial" deadlines and a deal will be reached, when each issue has been resolved.
Diplomats told CNN that there has been progress, but gaps remain.
For Iran, that means there's a light at the end of the tunnel for crippling sanctions. For the West, it means real hope that it's possible to loosen up on Tehran while still being confident that it won't develop nuclear weapons.
The international sanctions relief issue has been resolved, according to Ba'idinejad. "We have had long discussions on this, but there are issues that are related to sanctions that are still under consideration," Ba'idinejad said. He added that is not the only issue that needs to be worked out.
The thing is, nuclear physics is complicated. So are the international dynamics anytime you're talking about Iran and the West, with mutual distrust and contempt a shared sentiment for years.
That's why it's taken so long to even get to this point, and why what's happening in Lausanne matters. Before you can iron out nitty-gritty technical details in a permanent, comprehensive pact -- which carries the more important deadline of June 30 -- you have to agree on what you're going to talk about.
Since a supermajority of Americans support a deal with Iran, let's hope they can get to a final resolution. Diplomacy is so much cleaner than war.
