A nuclear deal between the United States and Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday, sources confirm, but Tehran has already begun to muddy the waters. The agreement, negotiated in secret for months, would see sanctions relief in exchange for limits on Iran's enrichment programme. But late Thursday, Iranian officials began leaking that the timing might slip.
My sources in Vienna tell me the Iranians are playing games. They want more concessions. The White House wants a win.
This is a familiar dance. I have seen it before. The deal itself is fragile.
Uncovered documents from the IAEA suggest Iran has not fully complied with previous agreements. But the administration is desperate. They will take what they can get.
The real question is who benefits. Follow the money. I have traced the flow of oil revenues through Dubai and into accounts linked to Iranian Revolutionary Guard front companies.
This deal will flood the market with Iranian crude. The price of oil will drop. Some very powerful people stand to lose billions.
Or make billions. It depends on whose side you are on. Sunday's signing is not a guarantee.
Tehran knows that. They will use every delay to extract more from a weary American negotiating team. The clock is ticking.
But in this business, the clock never stops.
