U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Paris to win European support for a nuclear agreement with Iran amid French concern a deal would not be tough enough.
After meeting with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Kerry said the U.S. and France are "on the same page" that a nuclear deal under discussion with Iran needs to be strengthened.
Fabius expressed skepticism, saying "progress" in talks with Iran over its nuclear program had been made but that differences remain.
Earlier in the week, Kerry met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Switzerland to try to persuade Iran to restrain its nuclear-enrichment program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.
In the meantime, Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said technical roadblocks hampering a final nuclear accord with world powers have been eliminated during negotiations with the United States.
He predicted the breakthrough would pave the way for a final deal.
Fears have been raised both in Europe and Israel -- including by a controversial address to the U.S. Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- that the deal could leave much of Iran's uranium-enrichment capability in place.
The sides have set a deadline of March 31.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP