President Barack Obama has told the people of Iran that ongoing nuclear talks presented "the best opportunity in decades" for the two countries to transform their relationship.
He directly appealed to Iranians, urging them to put pressure on their leaders to accept the "reasonable" deal. "My message to you – the people of Iran – is that together we have to speak up for the future we seek," he said.
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The long-running talks are aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear capabilities in return for a lifting of sanctions. Iran and six world powers – the US, the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia – are hoping to reach a framework agreement by March 31, with a final deal reached by July.
The complex agreement is likely to involve Iran scaling back its nuclear capabilities and agreeing to international inspections. In return, sanctions that have strangled its oil exports and hindered it economic developed would be lifted.
"The sticking points are thought to include the pace at which sanctions would be lifted, how long the deal will last and how much Iran's nuclear facilities will be open to inspection," the BBC reports.
Obama said Iran's leaders face a choice between continued isolation and sanctions or more trade and investment with the rest of the world. Securing a deal would mean a "path of greater opportunities for the Iranian people," he said.
The coming days and weeks "will be critical." While acknowledging that progress had been made, the president warned that gaps in the negotiations remained.
"There are people, in both our countries and beyond, who oppose a diplomatic resolution," he said. Obama faces stiff opposition to the deal from within Washington, with many lawmakers strongly opposed to the lifting of sanctions.
Earlier this month, a group of Republican senators warned Iran that any deal struck with the president could be revoked once he leaves office in 2017. The move was condemned by the White House as an attempt to undermine Obama's foreign policy.
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