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Mixed signals day after Iran deadline

Diplomats from Iran and Russia projected optimism about a preliminary understanding while the UK and France said progress made but slow-going; US delays comment.
Hamid Baeedinejad (L), an Iranian official, speaks with press about negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme outside the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel in Lausanne March 31, 2015. The United States said it was prepared to work past a midnight deadline into Wednesday if progress was being made towards clinching a preliminary nuclear deal between Iran and global powers. REUTERS/Brendan Smialowski/Pool - RTR4VMZY

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Iran and Russia’s foreign ministers said April 1 that political agreement on major elements of a final Iran nuclear accord might be announced here later in the day, and said that they hoped negotiators and experts would then move on to the work of drafting the detailed final Iran nuclear accord due at the end of June. But French and British envoys said while progress had been made, it was slow-going, and the United States so far withheld comment on whether it considered sufficient progress had been made.

“We have made significant progress over the last few days but it has been slow-going,” British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said April 1.

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