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Nuclear negotiators lean in as clock ticks on Iran deal

As the March deadline for a nuclear deal looms, Iran and the P5+1 are down to deliberating enrichment capacity and sanctions relief as well as the duration of a final deal.
U. S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrive to address a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington February 9, 2015.   REUTERS/Gary Cameron (UNITED STATES  - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)   - RTR4OW3R

WASHINGTON — Iran and its negotiating partners are approaching the decisive phase in their prolonged discussions over a nuclear deal and have discussed several ways in which Iran’s enrichment capacity could be curbed to meet Washington’s demand for a one-year breakout, sources briefed on the negotiations say.

Amid a sense of urgency to see if Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) can reach a political agreement for a nuclear deal by the end of March or risk a likely congressional vote on new Iran sanctions, US and Iranian negotiators are approaching their bottom lines as they continue to haggle over three key elements of a final deal: enrichment capacity, sanctions relief and duration.

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