Question: Write a summary based on this article:

1 of 3. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a news conference at the end of the Iranian nuclear talks in Geneva November 10, 2013. 
  
 ABU DHABI/LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he hoped an agreement on Iran's disputed nuclear program would be signed within months and London and Tehran revived diplomatic ties, signs of a warmer atmosphere between the Islamic Republic and the West. 
  
 In a further indication of cooperation, the United Nations nuclear watchdog reached an agreement under which Iran will grant U.N. inspectors access to more nuclear facilities. 
  
 Iran and six world powers - the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China and Germany - came close to a preliminary nuclear agreement at the weekend during talks in Geneva and decided to resume negotiations on November 20 in their attempt to defuse a decade-old standoff. 
  
 "This is not a race to complete just any agreement," Kerry told a news conference during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. However, he added: "Through diplomacy we have an absolute responsibility to pursue an agreement." 
  
 While saying that a deal with Iran was expected within months, Kerry tried to reassure Washington's Arab allies and Israel that his country would not abandon them. 
  
 Thumping the podium to make his point, Kerry said President Barack Obama had said "that he will continue to defend his friends and allies in this region, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, others, he will defend them against any external attack. 
  
 "That is the promise of the United States and as I stand here as secretary of state, as long as I'm secretary of state, that is also our policy, my policy, representing the president of the United States in executing it." 
  
 The fact that a deal might be within reach after a decade of confrontation between Iran and Western powers shows the shift in the tone of Tehran's foreign policy since President Hassan Rouhani was elected in June. 
  
 Rouhani began diplomatic moves towards a nuclear deal in order to ease sanctions that have throttled Iran's vital oil industry and cut it off from the international banking system. 
  
 On the table initially is phased, limited and reversible relief from sanctions. Iran, however, wants an early lifting of the oil and banking sanctions. 
  
 Britain and Iran said they were reviving diplomatic ties two years after a mob of students attacked the British embassy in Tehran. Both sides said they were appointing a new charge d'affaires. 
  
 Britain closed the embassy in 2011 after a rally against British sanctions escalated into violence and protesters scaled the walls, ransacked offices and burned buildings. 
  
 MAJOR POWERS 
  
 But with a breakthrough in Geneva tantalizingly close, divisions within the powers emerged when France declined to endorse the proposal, believing it did not do enough to neutralize the risk of an Iranian atom bomb. 
  
 French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius nonetheless expressed hope on Monday that a deal could be reached, although he said Tehran still had to make an effort on a few points. 
  
 "We are not far from an agreement with the Iranians, but we are not there yet," he told Europe 1 radio. "I am hopeful we will reach a good deal. We want an accord that ensures regional and international stability." 
  
 Fabius said Iran must suspend construction of its Arak heavy-water reactor and halt uranium enrichment to a concentration of 20 percent to win a relaxation of the sanctions, a position long held by Paris. 
  
 Some diplomats accused France of grandstanding during the talks at the weekend, which Fabius denied, saying Paris was not isolated but had an independent foreign policy. 
  
 Kerry denied reports of rifts among the powers and suggested Iran was not ready to accept the plan at that point. 
  
 The powers were "unified on Saturday when we presented a proposal to the Iranians, and the French signed off on it, we signed off on it, and everybody agreed it was a fair proposal. There was unity, but Iran couldn't take it at that particular moment, they weren't able to accept that particular thing." 
  
 The main sticking point, according to a diplomatic source and a European official in Washington, was that Iran insisted on formal recognition of its "right" to continue enriching uranium, and the world powers refused to concede on that point. 
  
 "It was the Iranians who were not able to accept the terms," the diplomatic source said. 
  
 A senior western diplomat said that not only the French but other members of the big powers believed the deal was not yet ready despite "very intensive, very complex, very detailed and constructive negotiations". 
  
 "The collective assessment of the group was that some more time would still be needed. That was not just the assessment of the French," the diplomat told reporters. 
  
 JOINT STATEMENT 
  
 In deal agreed on Monday aimed at improving transparency in Iran's nuclear program, Tehran will grant U.N. inspectors "managed access" to a uranium mine and a heavy water plant within three months. 
  
 Under the technical accord signed by U.N. nuclear agency chief Yukiya Amano in Tehran, Iran will also provide information about planned new research reactors and sites for future nuclear power plants, as well as clarify earlier statements about additional uranium enrichment facilities. 
  
 The IAEA and Iran have agreed "to strengthen their cooperation and dialogue aimed at ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program," a joint statement distributed in Vienna said. 
  
 The deal will allow inspectors access to the Gchine uranium mine and the Arak heavy water production plant. 
  
 On the diplomatic front, Iran and the six powers are searching for a preliminary agreement that would cap Iran's nuclear capacity and open up the program to U.N. inspectors. In exchange, they have offered some relief from sanctions, which Iran says does not go far enough. 
  
 Under discussion is a temporary deal entailing a freeze to higher-grade uranium enrichment - which Iran bills as fuel for a medical research reactor but which is also potential material for bombs - lasting about six months. 
  
 During that time, Iran and the six powers would negotiate a permanent agreement aimed at ensuring that none of Iran's nuclear activities could be diverted towards bomb-making. Tehran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. 
  
 (Additional reporting by Mahmoud Habboush, Marcus George, Peter Griffiths and John Irish; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by David Stamp and Jim Loney) ||||| When Iran appeared close to a preliminary deal with world powers over its nuclear program, France stepped up to say: Not so fast _ a surprise move that exposed divisions among the United States and other Western negotiators who had long been in lockstep on the issue. 
  
 Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong, front left, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, third from left, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, fifth from left, Germany's Foreign... (Associated Press) 
  
 Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, second from left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, center, arrive at a press conference at the end of the Iranian nuclear... (Associated Press) 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry steps aboard his aircraft in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday Nov. 10, 2013. Nuclear talks with Iran have failed to reach agreement, but Kerry said differences between Tehran... (Associated Press) 
  
 France, analysts say, was motivated by factors including its tough stand against the spread of nuclear weapons, skepticism about Tehran's trustworthiness, and the longstanding French tradition of speaking out on the world stage. Critics faulted France for alleged grandstanding and seeking closer ties with Iran's foes. 
  
 After the Geneva talks ended early Sunday with no deal, diplomats including U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that progress was nonetheless made and negotiations will continue Nov. 20. He said the U.S. was "grateful" to the French and shared some of their concerns. 
  
 After the failure of European-led talks with Iran over the nuclear program in the mid-2000s _ when America gave Iran the silent treatment _ Paris has staked out a hard-line stance. While President Barack Obama has recently sought a breakthrough, France has little to gain politically from an accord, and that gives Paris a freer hand to stick to strategic and security concerns. 
  
 In Geneva, the U.S., Britain, Germany, Russia, China and top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton were looking for initial caps on Iran's ability to make an atomic bomb, while Tehran sought some easing of sanctions stifling its economy. But French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius broke the near-uniform silence of the diplomats during the talks by using French radio to express reservations about Iran's enrichment of uranium and prospects of producing plutonium. 
  
 "You know, the French are very irritating. When the Americans absolutely want to do something, the French have this terrible habit of somewhat disagreeing," said analyst Francois Heisbourg of the Foundation for Strategic Research think tank in Paris. "We actually have experience in dealing with the Iranians directly. There used to be negotiations between the Europeans (and the Iranians) between 2003 and 2005." 
  
 "The Americans haven't spoken to the Iranians since 1979. And the Americans are telling us how it should be done," Heisbourg said. As for the Americans, "maybe they just want a deal _ it happens all the time in history: People badly want a deal and end up by negotiating against themselves." 
  
 Kerry said the United States has "serious and capable" experts who have dealt with Iran for years. 
  
 "We are not blind, and I don't think we're stupid," he told NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday. "I think we have a pretty strong sense of how to measure whether or not we are acting in the interests in our country, and of the globe, and particularly of our allies, like Israel, and Gulf states, and others in the region." 
  
 France has had deep ties to Iran over the years, notably striking business deals and hosting reformist former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami in the late 1990s _ when the biggest sticking point was whether to serve wine at dinner. (It was not.) 
  
 France was a major partner of the shah, and also harbored Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei in exile before he returned home to lead the Islamic Revolution. Today, the outspoken opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has its base in the Paris suburbs. 
  
 The bite of sanctions against Iran in recent years has left dangling billions of dollars worth of French investment there, including from companies like oil giant Total and car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen. Meanwhile, France has been cozying up to rich Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional archrival. 
  
 This month, French President Francois Hollande travels to Israel. In his radio appearance, Fabius said that French officials have been in contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Geneva talks. 
  
 Criticism of France emerged on a Twitter account widely believed to have the approval of the office of Iran's Supreme Leader _ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "(hash)French officials have been openly hostile towards the (hash)Iranian nation over the past few years; this is an imprudent and inept move," wrote (at)khamenei_ir. 
  
 Salman Shaikh, director of The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar, pointed to a French role reversal from a decade ago when Hassan Rouhani _ now Iran's president _ was its nuclear negotiator. France led a drive for a deal to sharply limit Iran's nuclear program, but it was scuttled by allies who felt it did not go far enough. 
  
 "For France to have the contrary view now, it shows just how far Iran's nuclear program has advanced," he said. 
  
 U.S. Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham, who has taken a tough stand against Iran's nuclear program, applauded France's position, telling CNN: "Thank God for France and thank God for pushback. ... The French are becoming very good leaders in the Mideast." 
  
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 Brian Murphy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report. ||||| Iran and the U.N.'s nuclear chief reached a deal Monday to allow expanded monitoring of the country's nuclear sites, including at a planned reactor. The agreement could boost wider negotiations over Tehran's atomic program. 
  
 Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, second from left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, center, arrive at a press conference at the end of the Iranian nuclear... (Associated Press) 
  
 Although the deal is a step forward in Iran's cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, the initial "roadmap" for deeper inspections does not mention some of the sites most sought by U.N. teams, notably a military facility outside Tehran, to probe suspicions of nuclear-related work. 
  
 Iran was quick to promote the accord, announced at a joint news conference, as a sign of progress toward reaching a broader accord with the U.S. and other world powers when talks resume next week. But the greater inspection access is set to unfold over a three-month timetable, which could encourage Western envoys yet may not be enough to bridge the range of differences that emerged during negotiations that stalled over the weekend. 
  
 The deal was struck during talks in Tehran with U.N. nuclear watchdog Yukiya Amano, whose initiative parallels more far-reaching efforts by the six world powers to reach an accord that would ease Western concerns that Iran could one day develop nuclear weapons _ an assertion Iran denies. 
  
 In Abu Dhabi, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed claims of serious rifts within the six-nation bloc, saying their positions were united and Iran was not able to accept latest offers made during talks in Geneva "at that particular moment" _ suggesting there was room for more progress at the next rounds beginning Nov. 20. 
  
 The pact reached Monday certainly contributes to the chances of a larger deal. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, have been working in Iran for years, but have complained of some limitations in reaching some sites and personnel. 
  
 The framework would give IAEA teams access to a key uranium mine and the site of a planned heavy water reactor, which uses a different type of coolant than regular water and produces a greater amount of plutonium byproduct than conventional reactors. Inspectors have already visited the reactor site, but seek more extensive probing. 
  
 The IAEA also received clearance for a visit to the Gachin uranium mine near the Persian Gulf port of Bandar Abbas, which also has been sought. 
  
 The deal also calls for Iran to provide more details on its nuclear program including all planned research reactors. This is important because such facilities use 20 percent enriched uranium, which is the highest level acknowledged by Iran and a key aspect of the ongoing nuclear talks. Halting the 20 percent enrichment _ which is several steps away from weapons-grade _ is a key goal of Western envoys, for which they may offer Iran a possible easing of U.S.-led sanctions. 
  
 But access to the planned heavy water site is perhaps the central concession of the package with the IAEA. During the weekend talks in Geneva between Iran and six world powers, France insisted that more controls were needed on the reactor under construction in the central city of Arak. 
  
 Plutonium can be used in nuclear weapons production, but separating it from the reactor byproducts requires a special technology that Iran does not currently possess. 
  
 Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the pact is intended as "a roadmap that clarifies the mutual steps required for resolving the outstanding issues" _ points repeatedly raised by President Hassan Rouhani since taking office in August. 
  
 A joint statement by Salehi and Amano said both sides seek to "cooperate further ... to resolve all present and past issues." The IAEA, in a nod to Iran's concerns, also agreed to protect confidential information regarding its nuclear program. 
  
 Monday's deal also could open room for even wider inspections, but no details were given. 
  
 "The practical measures will be implemented in the next three months, starting from today," Amano said in a news conference in Tehran. 
  
 Noticeable absent from the announcement was mention of the Parchin military facility southeast of Tehran. 
  
 The IAEA has sought to revisit the site to investigate suspicions that explosive tests were carried out related to possible nuclear triggers. Iran denies the allegations, but has resisted opening the base. 
  
 ___ 
  
 Associated Press writer George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report. ||||| U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that the major powers were unified on an Iran nuclear deal during weekend talks in Geneva but the Iranians were unable to accept it. He also said critics of the diplomatic effort should withhold their comments until a deal is reached. 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talks with a journalist during a joint press conference with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE minister of foreign affairs in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,... (Associated Press) 
  
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Sde Boker, Israel, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013. Netanyahu said that Israel would do all it could to keep world powers from striking... (Associated Press) 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan pose for photographers at the foreign ministry in Abu Dhabi, Monday, Nov. 11, 2013. (AP... (Associated Press) 
  
 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talks with a journalist during a joint press conference with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE minister of foreign affairs in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,... (Associated Press) 
  
 Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi, Kerry said the United States and its negotiating partners were unified when the proposal was presented to the Iranians. 
  
 "The French signed off on it, we signed off on it," Kerry said. 
  
 Earlier reports said that the talks came apart because France refused to accept the deal with Iran. On Monday, Kerry said the major powers reached an agreement after a marathon bargaining session but Iran wasn't able to accept the deal "at that particular moment." 
  
 "There was unity but Iran couldn't take it," he said. 
  
 Kerry also said that that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a deal to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions was premature. 
  
 "The time to oppose it is when you see what it is, not to oppose the effort to find out what is possible," Kerry said. 
  
 Netanyahu has repeatedly criticized what he considers readiness by the six powers involved in the talks to be too generous to Iran and has aggressively campaigned against an agreement. 
  
 But Kerry reasserted the U.S. commitment to Israel, saying the United States would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear bomb. 
  
 President Barack Obama, Kerry said, "does what he says," citing the killing of Osama bin Laden and getting American troops out of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
  
 "So believe us on Iran," he said. "He will not bluff." 
  
 Kerry said the U.S. has "been meeting constantly" with the Israelis to understand the progress Iran has made in its nuclear program. "We are confident that what we are doing can actually protect Israel more effectively and provide greater security," he said. 
  
 Kerry said there is no "end game" in motion and the Geneva talks were a first step in longer process of possible give and take. 
  
 Tehran has been eager to reach an agreement to ease international sanctions that have halted most oil exports and crippled the county's economy. 
  
 But a key stumbling block has been Iran's insistence that the international community recognize its "right" to enrich uranium as a signer of a U.N. treaty governing the spread of nuclear technology _ also frequently pointing out that Israel has not signed the accord. Kerry's comments challenge the Iranian view, but do not appear to significantly alter the currently Western effort that seeks to curb Iran's ability to make its highest-enrich uranium but possibly leaving intact the country's production of lower-level nuclear fuel. 
  
 Iran's highest enrichment level, at 20 percent, is still below the more than 90 percent needed for weapons-grade material, but experts say the process could be done at a rapid pace. Iran insists that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and that it has no plans to produce a nuclear weapon. 
  
 Iran says the 20 percent material is needed for its research reactor, which makes medical isotopes for cancer treatment and other applications. Iran also produces lower level nuclear fuel for its energy-producing reactor, which requires 3.5 percent enriched uranium. 
  
 Iranian state TV reported Monday that an agreement for expanded monitoring had been reached in talks with the U.N. nuclear chief in a deal that could boost wider negotiations over Tehran's atomic program. 
  
 Abu Dhabi was Kerry's final stop on a lengthy visit to the Middle East. He interrupted his tour on Friday to rush to Switzerland to take part in the weekend negotiations with Iran. He was expected back in Washington late Monday. 
  
 ___ 
  
 Associated Press writer Brian Murphy in Abu Dhabi contributed to this report. |||||

Summary:
Answer: – Talks in Tehran between Iran and the UN's nuclear chief have produced a "roadmap" for boosting inspections—but some of the sites that most interest UN investigators aren't included in the deal as it stands, the AP notes. Still, they'll get access to a planned heavy water reactor that has worried France, as well as a major uranium mine. The plan involves Iran opening its doors over three months, a period that may frustrate the West, but it could also lead to a more expansive deal. Indeed, the UN's Yukiya Amano and Iran nuclear boss Ali Akbar Salehi say they aim to "cooperate further ... to resolve all present and past issues." Separate talks in Geneva, which ended yesterday, were less productive, though John Kerry says the US and other negotiating countries reached "unity" on a nuclear deal only to be rejected by Iran. Earlier reports had suggested France opposed a deal that appeared to be forming, but "the French signed off on" a proposal this weekend, Kerry said. Iran, however, "couldn't take it." While it's not "a race to complete just any agreement," Kerry signaled optimism that a deal could be reached in a matter of months, Reuters notes. Talks are set to resume Nov. 20.