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Deal or no deal { 14 images } Created 13 Dec 2013

In the early morning of 24 November in Geneva, an unexpected deal was announced between six world powers and Iran to limit its nuclear program.

As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated in a 5.00 a.m. press conference, it is only the start of a process, and could derail at any time, but doubts and distractors aside, it still represents a historic moment, with the potential to profoundly change relations between Iran and West, in conflict since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.In exchange for a limited, and temporary reduction in sanctions, Iran has agreed to limit uranium enrichment to 5%, which is coherent with a civilian nuclear program, and neutralize weapons grade material. It will not install new centrifuges, a limit the production of those it already has. It will halt work on a new reactor, and allow more inspection of its facilities, as well as access to its scientists.

The deal was hammered out over three rounds of talks in Geneva, led by Catherine Ashton, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, and delegations from the U.S., Russia, China, U.K. France and Germany (officially titled the ‘EU3/ +3’. Negotiations were held at the UN Palais des Nations, and when a deal seemed possible, in both the second and the third rounds, talks were extended, and foreign ministers flew in to take up residence in the Hotel Intercontinental, the luxury hotel then becoming the centre of discussions, drafts being hand delivered between rooms. All was held behind closed doors, access to the UN was limited to an occasion pool visit, and a hungry and frustrated media not allowed past the lobby of the hotel, directed to a press centre in the basement of a separate conference centre a bus-ride away in freezing temperatures.

Just as the international media – including a major Iranian contingent - was reconciled to failure and yet another rendezvous in Geneva in 15 days time, the deal was announced by twitter at 3 a.m., finally giving them something solid to feed a twenty four news cycle that had been filled with little more than frustrated speculation for weeks.

This series follows that process, of waiting for history to be made behind closed doors.
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  • Iran state TV anchor woman wearing Islamic dress with computer mobile phone and tablet at the press center during the first round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal01.jpg
  • Press pool at the Palais des Nations, filming the arrival of deleagtions for the third, and eventually successful, round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program.  E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal18.jpg
  • Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif, addressing a 4.30 a.m. press conference for the international media following a surprise historic late night deal struck with western countries concerning Iranian nuclear ambitions, following a  third round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva.
    IranDeal31.jpg
  • German delegation, including the foreign minister Guido Westerwelle during a pause in the last evening of the eventually successful third round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. By this stage negotiations had moved to the Hotel  Intercontinental, where many senior members of delegations, by now including foreign ministers, were staying. A deal was finally announced at 3 a.m.
    IranDeal22.jpg
  • EEU High Representative Catherine Ashton's spokesperson Michael Mann giving a radio interview to the BBC surrounded by members of the international press, recording him as he speaks, at the press center  following the first day of the first round of E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. (E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.) .
    IranDeal05.jpg
  • Catherine Ashton, EU high representative for foreign and security poilcy surrounded by security as she leaves a press conference following a first round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program, accompanied by her press spokesperson Michael Mann. E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China
    IranDeal07.jpg
  • Iranian delegation arriving at the UN Palais des Nations, for the third, and eventually successful, round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program.  E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal20.jpg
  • US Secretary of State John Kerry addressing the international media flanked by security, at a press conference just before 5 a.m. following a deal on Iranian nuclear weapons at the end of a third round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva.
    IranDeal33.jpg
  • CNN journalist addressing a question to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Zarif, in a 4.30 a.m.  press conference for the international media following a surprise historic late night deal struck with western countries concerning Iranian nuclear ambitions, following a  third round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva.
    IranDeal28.jpg
  • Iran state TV anchor woman wearing Islamic dress addressing a camera at the press center during  the first round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal02.jpg
  • Special Agent of the U.S. DSS (Diplomatic Security Service), part of Secretary of State John Kerry's detail, whilst visiting Geneva for the second round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks concerning Iran's nuclear program.  E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal16.jpg
  • Journalist at the press center taking a break during the first round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal06.jpg
  • Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Palais des Nations (UN) before the start of a second round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal09.jpg
  • Catherine Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Palais des Nations (UN) before the start of a second round of the E3/EU+3 Iran talks in Geneva concerning Iran's nuclear program. E3/EU +3 refers to UK, France and Germany plus U.S., Russia and China.
    IranDeal10.jpg