Iran-Turkey-Brazil deal 'close'

Iran-Turkey-Brazil deal 'close'

As I type this post it is about 7pm Sunday in Sao Paulo, shortly after 2am Monday in Tehran.

I just spoke on the phone with a source within Brazil's diplomatic delegation currently in Iran who tells me that after 18 hours of negotiations the Brazilians are "very optimistic" and that talks on Sunday went "very well" on a negotiated solution to the Iran nuclear standoff.

The Brazilian member of the diplomatic corps said there was hope that an agreement could be announced as early as Monday morning.

Brazil's foreign minister, Celso Amorim, who is spearheading Brazil's negotiating team, apparently returned to his Tehran hotel room shortly after 11pm.

The news from the Brazilians seems to back up a late Reuters report on Sunday night in which Turkey Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was asked by a reporter whether there would be an agreement and he allegedly said: "Yes, it has been reached after almost 18 hours of negotiations."

My Brazilian contact in Tehran would not confirm a deal was done, preferring the more cautiously optimistic tone. And let's remember, sometimes after these marathon negotiations people can slip up when they are tired and asked to speak - so it's best to wait for all parties to agree.

As I type this post, there is a flurry of reports on the internet with headlines such as "Turkey, Brazil seal deal on nuclear fuel swap". Nothing is sealed, according to the Brazilian delegation source, but it's sure moving in that direction.

And if a deal gets done, it would likely go down from a Brazilian perspective as one of the major foreign policy coups in the diplomatic history of this South American country. Monday likely, we will find out for sure.

Background:

My previous analysis: Lula's Nuclear Mission to Iran

A timeline of events.