Iran Deal: Close to Approval?

Secretary of State John Kerry will deliver a major speech on the Iran nuclear deal at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday, CNN has learned. Kerry will use the speech to defend the merits of the agreement and respond to its critics.

During an interview with CNN in Anchorage ahead of a conference of Arctic nations, the secretary pushed back on the notion that the Iranians would be able to self-inspect at Parchin, as Republicans in Congress have alleged.

"We are satisfied

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, said on Sunday he would support the nuclear deal with Iran, moving President Barack Obama a step closer to having sufficient backing to ensure the deal stands.

"I believe the agreement, titled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is the best available strategy to block Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," Merkley wrote in a statement published on Medium.com.

Obama is trying to muster 34 votes in the Senate to ensure lawmakers cannot kill the deal. Thirty-one senators, all Democrats and...