The final hours before Iran and the six world powers agreed on a framework about Iran's nuclear program were crucial; Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif and his negotiating team considered leaving the talks and returning to Tehran. Their plane was ready, and Zarif and his team, even some of the major powers who were participating in the talks, were not disappointed with what was achieved by that point. It was US Secretary of State John Kerry who decided not to give up, and the final attempt at a deal lasted from 9 p.m. on April 1 until 6 the following morning. Kerry and Zarif believed it was the last chance to reach a deal — one that no one had been able to reach before. Both sides stuck to their own tough talking points, but it was clear that the lines were drawn far away from the edge of the abyss.
“We arrived at a common understanding on many of the main points,” a senior Iranian official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “What’s left are the very complicated details that need thorough discussion; despite all the sessions and the mutual confidence that was built, each party remains cautious toward the other. Iran wasn’t ready to sacrifice at any cost, the least for promises that might be respected or might not. How is Iran going to implement the agreement without people immediately feeling the change?”
