'Quite possible' Iran, major powers can reach deal next week -U.S. official

    
Major powers and Iran are getting close to a first-stage agreement to curb Iran's nuclear program and it is "quite possible" a deal could be reached when they meet Nov. 21-22 in Geneva, a senior U.S. official told reporters.         

"I don't know if we will reach an agreement. I think it is quite possible that we can, but there are still tough issues to negotiate," said the official, saying EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif were to meet on Nov. 20 in Geneva and a wider group - including Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - would meet Iranian officials there on the following two days.             

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Israel's prime minister has taken to Twitter to keep pressure up on Western powers over negotiations with Iran on its contested nuclear program.
 
A tweet Friday on Benjamin Netanyahu's Twitter account featured a cartoon-like ad saying "Iran is getting everything and giving nothing."
 
Netanyahu has been increasingly vocal about his opposition to a potential deal between six Western powers and Iran that would lift some sanctions while still leaving Iran with uranium-enrichment capabilities. Netanyahu has said he utterly rejects the agreement and has been lobbying American allies in Congress to keep up sanctions. The approach has strained relations with the Obama administration.
 

REUTERS/AP