Iran and US say could be close to talks breakthrough

Senior US and Iranian officials said on Saturday they could be close to a breakthrough in talks to strike a draft deal to end the war in the Middle East. Iran said gaps remain between the parties, and the dispute over its nuclear programme would not be part of the initial talks.But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism, just as Pakistan's army chief, a key go-between between the United States and Iran, left Tehran after two days of talks with senior Iranian leaders.