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Iranian Nuclear Deal Still Is Possible, But Time Is Running Out
(Washington Post) Secretary of State John Kerry - July 20, the deadline to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear program, is fast approaching. Substantial gaps still exist between what Iran's negotiators say they are willing to do and what they must do to achieve a comprehensive agreement. Their public optimism about the potential outcome of these negotiations has not been matched, to date, by the positions they have articulated behind closed doors. Iran's claim that the world should simply trust its words ignores the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported since 2002 on dozens of violations by Iran of its international nonproliferation obligations, starting in the early 1980s. There may be pressure to put more time on the clock. But no extension is possible unless all sides agree, and the United States and our partners will not consent to an extension merely to drag out negotiations. Iran must show a genuine willingness to respond to the international community's legitimate concerns in the time that remains.