Iran nuclear talks

Officials said one important sticking point has been Iran's demand that the IAEA end an investigation into uranium traces found at undeclared sites.

Unless Khamenei is ready to reverse himself on allowing aspects of the IAEA probes remain open, there is no telling how long the freeze could go on for.

Rob Malley's comments about reviving the JCPOA is "not on the agenda" and "not the focus" bring two main questions to the spotlight.

Iran slammed a joint statement by France, Germany and Britain criticizing Iran's conduct in the ongoing nuclear talks.

The Iranian regime is aware of the limits of the United States’ ability to deal with its threats. It also knows exactly how it will respond to any US military attack on pro-Iranian militias.

"It is time to move past the failed negotiations with Iran. They can not and will not achieve the goals we all share to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon," said Lapid.

Iran's demand risks hurting the chances of saving the deal because Washington has rejected linking it to the agency's investigation.

With Russia working closely with Iran and potentially acquiring their drones, the ramifications loom over the Middle East, and especially over Syria.  

For Iran, it is lots of screaming and kicking at the 11th hour to see if it can secure a few more concessions before it signs the dotted line.

These discussions were the first since a new draft of the Iran nuclear deal was tabled, and is a phone call Prime Minister Yair Lapid has pushed for.