Iran nuclear talks go down to wire as Israel lashes out

High-stakes negotiations to rein in Iran's suspect nuclear programme looked set to go down to the wire on March 29 with only three days left until a midnight deadline for the outlines of a deal.

In a sign that the complex talks were coming to a head, top US diplomat John Kerry cancelled plans to attend a high-profile event in his beloved Boston on March 30 to stay at the negotiating table.
 
"Given the ongoing nuclear negotiations, (Kerry) will not be able to share this special time ... in person," deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said of Monday's dedication of new institute in honour of late senator Ted Kennedy.
 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country is widely believed to have nuclear weapons itself, denounced as "dangerous" the accord that is on the table.
 
"The dangerous accord which is being negotiated in Lausanne confirms our concerns and even worse," Netanyahu said in remarks broadcast on public radio.
 
Kerry met again early March 29 with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the latest in a flurry of closed-door discussions at a luxury hotel in the Swiss town of Lausanne.
 
Asked afterwards if he was going to get his deal, Kerry said: "I don't know."
 
"It's going all right. We're working," he added.
 
French and German foreign ministers have already arrived in Lausanne, along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.
 
Their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi flew in early Sunday, and was due to meet separately with both Kerry and Zarif. The Russian and British foreign ministers were also expected during the day.
 
Officials have expressed guarded optimism that after 18 months of tortuous negotiations and two missed...