Russia expects Iran nuclear deal to be implemented in January

At talks in Vienna, senior officials from those major powers discussed with Iran a text they have prepared that would close the International Atomic Energy Agency's 12-year investigation of Tehran's past activities while ensuring the IAEA could still check for signs of suspicious behavior.

Under the deal, Iran must scale back its nuclear program, including its stockpile of low-enriched uranium - which it plans to do via a swap for non-enriched forms of uranium with Russia, to remove concerns it could be put to developing nuclear bombs.

That swap will be done before the end of the year, the Russian envoy to the IAEA, Vladimir Voronkov, told reporters.

Iran has said it will fulfill all its commitments under the July agreement only if the IAEA's Board of Governors passes a resolution formally closing its investigation into Iran's nuclear past when the board meets on December 15.

The draft resolution of the IAEA Board of Governors drawn up by the major powers -- France, Britain, Germany, the United States, Russia and China -- and sent to other states on December 7 contained provisions that both sides could claim as victories.

"(The board) also notes that all the activities in the road-map for the clarification of past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran's nuclear program were implemented in accordance with the agreed schedule and further notes that this closes the Board's consideration of this item," the text said.

The draft resolution, obtained by Reuters, also said the board would eventually no longer be seized of “Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, referring to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

That phrase, and a shorter version before the relevant UN Security Council resolutions were passed, has been the title of the IAEA's regular reports on its investigation of Iran's nuclear activities since 2003.