Hillary Clinton hoping for 'verifiable' Iran nuclear deal

Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday she remains hopeful the United States and its allies can reach a deal to curb Iran's nuclear weapons program by next week's deadline.

"I'm hoping it's a strong, verifiable deal that will put the lid on Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions," the Democratic presidential front-runner said during a July 4 campaign organizing event in northern New Hampshire. "Even if we are successful, however, Iran's aggressiveness will not end."

• Iran says nuclear deal could lead to co-operation in fight against extremism
• VIDEO: Iranians await what could be "transformative" news from nuclear talks

As U.S. President Barack Obama's secretary of state, Clinton helped set in motion the talks that are nearing completion in Vienna. The proposal has been assailed by Republican presidential candidates who say it does not go far enough to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, setting up a potential foreign policy clash in the election campaign.

Ads against the deal paid for by at least one private group have begun appearing on U.S. television.

Clinton did add a cautionary note: "Just because we get the nuclear deal, if we can get it done, doesn't mean we're going to be able to be breathing a big sigh of relief."

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his country and world powers have never been closer to a nuclear deal, though there is no guarantee of success.

'Reason over illusion'

"I see hope because I see emergence of reason over illusion," Zarif said in a statement broadcast Friday on Youtube. "I sense that my negotiating partners have recognized that coercion and pressure never lead to lasting solutions but to more conflict and further hostility."

"At this 11th hour, despite some differences that remain, we have never been closer to a lasting outcome, but there is no guarantee," he said. "Getting to yes requires the courage to compromise, the self-confidence to be flexible, the maturity to be reasonable, the wisdom to set aside illusions and the audacity to break old habits."

It's a crucial weekend for talks in Vienna on Iran's nuclear program. The negotiations have already been extended past their original deadline.

• Iran nuclear talks: 5 questions if the negotiations collapse

Negotiators from six countries who hold a seat on the United Nations Security council are trying to curb Iran's ability to enrich uranium. They say they will lift economic sanctions if they are able to come to an agreement by the July 7 deadline.

The talks involve the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, who seek to have Iran curtail its nuclear program for at least a decade in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

Some of the major sticking points have included the timing of sanctions relief and the question of access for UN nuclear inspectors.

The UN nuclear watchdog could issue a report on its investigation into past Iranian research suspected of being linked to nuclear weapons development by the
end of the year if Tehran cooperates, the agency's chief said on Saturday.

International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Yukiya Amano was in Tehran on Thursday for meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and other top Iranian officials to discuss the stalled IAEA investigation into Tehran's past nuclear work.