The about-face underlined the perils of Twitter statesmanship as well as the volatility of the negotiations in Vienna, where rising anticipation of a much-postponed announcement deal came to nothing once more on Monday. The talks were facing their fourth extension in two weeks.
The deleted tweet on the English-language account under president Hassan Rouhani’s name declared: "#IranDeal is the victory of diplomacy & mutual respect over the outdated paradigm of exclusion & coercion. And this is a good beginning.”
Soon after, a new tweet was posted in its place, adding the word "if” at the beginning.
Rouhani was not alone in being wrong-footed by the turn of events in Vienna. European diplomats had confidently predicted a conclusion on Monday evening after 17 straight days of negotiations. U.S. diplomats briefed journalists on the choreography of events to follow the announcement of a deal, but expectations soured over the course of Sunday night and Monday morning.
Diplomats said it had emerged that some key differences over a new UN Security Council resolution incorporating the expected agreement, which were thought to have been resolved, were still obstacles to a final agreement. Under that expected settlement, Iran would be subject to restrictions on its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.
A commentary on the state of play on Iranian state TV highlighted the stakes saying "even one misplaced comma can change everything”.