Obama Nears Deal on Peace Talks

President Obama may be on vacation, but apparently he’s still working hard: According to the Guardian, a U.S.-brokered Israeli-Palestinian deal allowing talks to resume is close. In exchange for Israeli cooperation, the U.S. would take a harder line on Iran's nuclear weapons program, seeking—along with Britain and France—expanded U.N. sanctions against Iran's oil and gas industry. Israel would then agree to a partial freeze on constructing settlements, the paper said. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell are to meet privately in London Thursday, but negotiations are advanced enough that France and Russia have both offered to host a new round of talks. Obama could make an announcement before the end of next month.