Spotlight: Source says Iranian nuclear deal likely on Sunday

All sides continue getting closer on opinion for talks on the Iranian nuclear deal, and a final agreement is expected on Sunday, a diplomatic source told Xinhua midnight on Saturday.

"Gaps are continuing to be narrowed ...the final stage of the negotiations have come," said the source who required anonymity, noting there are only a few issues left.

It is possible that the deal could be reached on Sunday the earliest, but all depends on the upcoming meetings, the source said.

After over two weeks of political bargain in the Palais Coburg hotel in the capital city of Austria, Iran and the six countries -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are heading to a deal to put an end to the decade-old standoff.

The convening parties agreed they have never been "so close" to a comprehensive deal.

As some tough issues remain, Iran and the six powers are giving themselves until Monday to reach a final deal after missing the deadlines of June 30 and July 9.

Western powers have asked for greater transparency of Iran's nuclear activities, one of the thorniest points in the talks.

The source said UN nuclear inspectors could be granted the access to military sites in Iran, stressing the importance in implementing the additional protocol of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The additional protocol is very important to bolster the non- proliferation regime as it would grant inspectors wider access to some suspected facilities in countries with alleged nuclear weapon plan.

However, the western states have said earlier existing additional protocol is not enough to secure non-proliferation in Iran.

The source said there might be additional terms to strengthen the additional protocol.

In terms of sanctions relief, the source said certain part of the sanctions imposed on Iran would be lifted, but the exact timing of the relief was yet to be agreed.

After preparation of around half a year, the comprehensive deal would be implemented simultaneously if agreed by sides involved.

"Still have difficult issues to resolve," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on his twitter after meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday.

Iran and the five UN Security Council permanent members plus Germany have been negotiating over the past 18 months to reach a long-term deal over Tehran's controversial atomic plan.

The western powers hoped to be reassured of a safer Iran without any possibilities of nuclear weapons and Iran aspired to get sanction relief to benefit its economy.

An Iranian economic expert on Saturday talked about a 2-percent rise in economic growth if sanctions against the country are removed.

Tehran's stock market and Iran's currency value against the foreign currencies will rebound under psychological point of view, said Dr. Saeed Leylaz.

Iran needs to rebuild its economy; it did not have enough investment and proper productivity in oil sector for the past 10 years, he said. Endit