Iranian Extension Expected; In Turkey, Biden Leaves Empty-handed

Despite the insistence of European diplomats that Monday will be taken up by “feverish” efforts to secure a nuclear deal between Iran and the Western powers, observers see as the primary effort working out an alternative arrangement that will provide additional time once the deadline of midnight on Monday arrives. Critics of the talks note that it is clearly in Iran’s interest to buy more time given the success it’s had so far in amassing concessions from the West while conceding virtually nothing on its side. Both Saudi Arabia and Israel remain skeptical among America’s allies and argue that Iran will use additional time to perfect its quest for nuclear weapons while the talks ramble on. Meanwhile, while Secretary of State Kerry was leading the delegation in Vienna, Vice President Joe Biden was handling the diplomacy in Turkey, trying to reach some sort of working arrangement with the Erdogan government about sharing the fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan has been steadfast in his refusal to cooperate with the US militarily unless Washington is willing to broaden its net to include Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Minimally, Erdogan wants to see a no-fly zone declared over Syria to impede Assad’s deadly air force that is responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians. Biden left after hours of talks with Erdogan and Foreign Minister Davutoglu, offering some diplo-speak about the US-Turkey relationship being “as strong as it has ever been” but offering no points of agreement.