Iranian president sends letter to Obama as nuclear talks near deadline

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote a letter Thursday to President Barack Obama and leaders of the other five countries engaged in talks aimed at a nuclear deal, urging them to overcome differences so that an agreement can be reached by the end of the month.

Rouhani, who didn’t disclose the full contents of the letter, also raised the Saudi Arabian air attacks on Iranian-supported rebels in Yemen, an action Iran has strongly criticized. He said on Twitter that he had condemned the attacks, contending they are only “exacerbating the crisis” in a country fighting a many-sided civil war.

But Rouhani did not suggest that dispute would stand in the way of a nuclear deal, making clear, instead, that he believes the talks can reach a deal that would remove sanctions on Iran’s economy if it accepts curbs aimed at preventing it from gaining nuclear weapons capability.

The negotiators are seeking to reach the outline of a deal by Tuesday and to complete a detailed, comprehensive agreement by June 30.

Rouhani also spoke by phone with French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Rouhani hinted on Twitter that France and Britain had been pressuring Iran for concessions.

The White House declined to comment on the contents of Rouhani’s letter but did not dispute his account.

The letter came as U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif resumed negotiations Thursday morning.

U.S. officials said last week’s five-day negotiating session, which ended Saturday for a three-day break, had made more progress than any previous round. They said they view March 31 as a firm deadline for the first-phase agreement they are seeking to reach.

Though negotiators have tentatively resolved a series of thorny issues, U.S. officials indicated that a key question – how long the deal should last – has not been finally settled.

“All of us want as long a duration as is possible,” a U.S. official said. “The question is what is realistic – what (restrictions) should be in place for what length of time.”

Officials have said that restrictions on Iran would begin to be eased after a number of years. But some curbs, as well as close monitoring and inspections, would continue indefinitely, U.S. officials have promised.