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The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday the nuclear deal reached by the Islamic Republic and six world powers would only be accepted if sanctions against his country are lifted.
The president's remarks come after Iran, the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia agreed on a framework for a nuclear deal early this month.
United States President Barack Obama sent the document to be analyzed and approved by Congress Tuesday, potentially jeopardizing the future of the deal given that lawmakers would be allowed to veto the agreement.
“What the U.S. Senate says, what the U.S. House of Representatives wants, what the extremists in the U.S. are pursuing or what America’s mercenaries in the region are saying has absolutely nothing to do with our government and people … We want goodwill in return for goodwill. We want respect in return for respect,” said Rouhani during a speech in the city of Rasht.
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Republican lawmakers in the U.S. have consistently voiced their public opposition to the Obama administration's policy towards Iran.
However, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, upon his arrival in Germany, that he was confident the framework would be given green light by Congress.
"We are confident about our ability for the president to negotiate an agreement, and to do so with the ability to make the world safer," Kerry said.
Negotiations of a nuclear deal are expected to continue after a 30-day review period given to the U.S. House and Senate to approve the framework agreed.
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