Reports reaching CEOAFRICA.com is that the US Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to join negotiations in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme, amid rising expectation of a breakthrough.

According to reports, Mr Kerry had been on a tour of the Middle East, but has changed his plans at the invitation of the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Iran's foreign minister said a deal could be reached on Friday.

The talks bring together world powers - the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany (P5 1) - and Iran.

According to the BBC's Kim Ghattas, who is travelling with Mr Kerry, his dramatic decision to change his travel plans and go to Geneva is a clear sign that a deal with Iran may be within reach.

A senior state department official told the BBC that he was going "to help narrow differences in negotiations" between Iran and the 5P 1.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told CNN on Thursday that Iran would not suspend uranium enrichment completely but could "deal with the various issues on the table".

But while speaking ahead of meeting John Kerry on Friday morning, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said such a deal would be a serious mistake.

"I understand that the Iranians are walking around very satisfied in Geneva - as well they should be, because they got everything and paid nothing.

"Everything they wanted, they wanted relief of sanctions after years of a gruelling sanctions regime, they got that, they are paying nothing because they are not reducing in any way their nuclear enrichment capability.

"So Iran got the deal of the century and the international community got a bad deal, this is a very bad deal. Israel utterly rejects it and what I am saying is shared by many, many in the region, whether or not they express that publicly.

"Israel is not obliged by this agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself and the security of its people."

The West suspects Iran's uranium enrichment programme is a step towards building nuclear weapons.

Since 2006 the UN Security Council has imposed a series of sanctions - including asset freezes and travel bans - on entities and people involved in Iran's nuclear programme.

Separate US and EU sanctions have targeted Iran's energy and banking sectors, crippling its oil-based economy. Iran wants the sanctions lifted.