Ali Akbar Salehi

Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi is urging the West to change course in the Middle East in order to save the historic atomic deal, saying "the moment of truth has arrived".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif departed for Vienna early today for talks with European Union and US counterparts on the country's landmark nuclear deal, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran will fulfil its commitments under the July nuclear agreement with major powers in time to have sanctions, that have crippled its economy, lifted by the end of the year, its atomic energy chief said today.

Iran has begun preliminary implementation of the nuclear deal struck with six world powers in July, Tehran's nuclear chief was quoted as saying today by Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Foreign ministers from major powers sought today to turn the screws on a hard-bargaining Iran to finalise a historic nuclear deal on the eve of a deadline to present it to US lawmakers.

A crowd of well-wishers hailed Iranian negotiators today as they returned to Tehran after agreeing the framework of a potentially historic nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian news agencies reported.

World powers appeared Saturday to be narrowing in on a deal to stop Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb, with marathon talks stretching into the evening as Iran's foreign minister voiced confidence the final hurdles can be overcome.

Iran's nuclear chief told AFP today that he was "optimistic" about reaching a nuclear deal with world powers despite interference from those opposed to resolving the longrunning crisis over Tehran's atomic activities.

US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz was headed to Geneva today to join talks with Iranian officials as efforts for an historic nuclear deal stepped up a gear.

Iran is "in the process" of completing measures on transparency in its nuclear research that were agreed with the UN atomic agency, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying, suggesting Tehran had at least partly met a Monday deadline for cooperation.

Iran is scaling down plutonium production plans at its partially built heavy-water reactor, saying the facility will make significantly smaller amounts of waste plutonium than what is required for the core of a nuclear weapon.

Iran will take control of a Russian-built nuclear power station at Bushehr on its Gulf coast on Monday, Iranian Atomic Energy Agency chief Ali Akbar Salehi said.

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani has tasked the foreign ministry with handling the country's sensitive nuclear talks, his website said on Thursday, in a possible signal of a less confrontational approach with world powers.

Iran's foreign minister on Sunday condemned the use of chemical weapons and appeared to offer to mediate in the Syria crisis.

Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that it was converting some of its higher-grade enriched uranium into reactor fuel, a move that could help to prevent a dispute with the West over its nuclear program hitting a crisis in mid-2013.

Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi is urging the West to change course in the Middle East in order to save the historic atomic deal, saying "the moment of truth has arrived".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif departed for Vienna early today for talks with European Union and US counterparts on the country's landmark nuclear deal, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Iran will fulfil its commitments under the July nuclear agreement with major powers in time to have sanctions, that have crippled its economy, lifted by the end of the year, its atomic energy chief said today.

Iran has begun preliminary implementation of the nuclear deal struck with six world powers in July, Tehran's nuclear chief was quoted as saying today by Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Foreign ministers from major powers sought today to turn the screws on a hard-bargaining Iran to finalise a historic nuclear deal on the eve of a deadline to present it to US lawmakers.

A crowd of well-wishers hailed Iranian negotiators today as they returned to Tehran after agreeing the framework of a potentially historic nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian news agencies reported.

World powers appeared Saturday to be narrowing in on a deal to stop Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb, with marathon talks stretching into the evening as Iran's foreign minister voiced confidence the final hurdles can be overcome.

Iran's nuclear chief told AFP today that he was "optimistic" about reaching a nuclear deal with world powers despite interference from those opposed to resolving the longrunning crisis over Tehran's atomic activities.

US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz was headed to Geneva today to join talks with Iranian officials as efforts for an historic nuclear deal stepped up a gear.

Iran is "in the process" of completing measures on transparency in its nuclear research that were agreed with the UN atomic agency, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying, suggesting Tehran had at least partly met a Monday deadline for cooperation.

Iran is scaling down plutonium production plans at its partially built heavy-water reactor, saying the facility will make significantly smaller amounts of waste plutonium than what is required for the core of a nuclear weapon.

Iran will take control of a Russian-built nuclear power station at Bushehr on its Gulf coast on Monday, Iranian Atomic Energy Agency chief Ali Akbar Salehi said.

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani has tasked the foreign ministry with handling the country's sensitive nuclear talks, his website said on Thursday, in a possible signal of a less confrontational approach with world powers.

Iran's foreign minister on Sunday condemned the use of chemical weapons and appeared to offer to mediate in the Syria crisis.

Iran acknowledged on Tuesday that it was converting some of its higher-grade enriched uranium into reactor fuel, a move that could help to prevent a dispute with the West over its nuclear program hitting a crisis in mid-2013.