JERUSALEM (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry returned to Israel from Jordan on Friday for a brief meeting with the prime minister before traveling to Switzerland to participate in nuclear talks with Iran.
Kerry's decision to fly to Geneva comes after signs that global powers and Iran were close to a deal that would cap some of Iran's suspected nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from economic sanctions.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed Kerry would go Geneva to meet Friday with the European Union's top diplomat, Catherine Ashton, and Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Israel believes Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and says international pressure should be stepped up, not eased. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the emerging agreement the "deal of the century" for Iran and said it would be a mistake to ease sanctions.

The Iranian nuclear program will likely to dominate Friday's meeting, overshadowing Kerry's efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

A senior state department official said that Kerry has been open to the possibility of traveling to Geneva for the talks "if it would help narrow differences."

The official said Ashton asked Kerry to attend the latest round of discussions. The official called the negotiations "a complex process" and said Kerry was "committed to doing anything he can" to help.

By The Associated Press

 

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