Final nuke deal with P5 plus one within reach, says Iran president

President Hassan Rouhani has told media here that the nuclear deal between his country and the six-nation group, which includes the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, is making progress, and close to finalization.

Fox News, however, quoted him, as saying that some gaps still remain, and calling on the P% plus one to respect the rights of the Iranian nation and its national interests, and not to seek excessive demands.

Rouhani said Iran will allow inspections of its nuclear facilities, but won't allow its state "secrets" to be jeopardized under the cover of international inspections.

Rouhani was addressing a news conference on the second anniversary of his election. He won the presidency with a campaign that promised he would work to lift international economic sanctions and end Iran's international isolation.

He said on Saturday that he remains committed to his plan of "constructive engagement" with the outside world.

Negotiators reached a framework agreement in early April to curb Iran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. The deal is to be finalized by a self-imposed deadline of June 30.

Iran has agreed to grant United Nations inspectors "managed access" to military sites as part of a future deal, including letting them take environmental samples in the vicinity of military bases. But Rouhani and others have repeatedly stated that international inspectors will not be allowed to conduct inspections on the grounds of military sites.