article_snippet: World powers are seeking the outlines of an agreement World powers say would stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon for at least 15 years.
article_snippet: But on Monday, a senior U.S. State Department official said the rumblings in the press should quiet down.
article_snippet: Conservative Washington lawmakers are threatening new sanctions if Tehran doesn't comply with demands, which could throw a wrench into negotiations.
article_snippet: U.S. negotiators are working to reach an agreement in part to prevent this kind of congressional punishment.
article_snippet: U.S. negotiators fear Iran could prompt hardliners in Tehran to push for killing the talks, which would scuttle the chances of a deal altogether.
article_snippet: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif believes the world powers "have realized that sanctions, pressure and an agreement will not go together.
article_snippet: Diplomats say the first 10 years of the deal would have the most stringent restrictions, which would be relaxed over the last five.
article_snippet: That figure is down from the 6,000 the sides were speaking about when the talks started Thursday, but substantially more than the several hundred the United States had originally wanted.
article_snippet: Even if a pact is reached Tuesday, a pact's unclear what form what form would take, and the United States and Iran have varying needs.
article_snippet: The parties are seeking to reach what's being called a framework agreement -- essentially a political understanding of the main principles of the final deal.
article_snippet: Officials have been vague about the format this framework deal might take as well as how much of this framework deal will be made known to the public and international stakeholders.
article_snippet: the United States would prefer a written accord, but Iran has balked at putting anything in writing until a comprehensive deal is reached.
article_snippet: U.S. officials say U.S. officials will need to quantify Iran's commitments before submitting the agreement to Congress.
article_snippet: But U.S. and Western diplomats say that Iran is looking simply for an "understanding" of what has been agreed to before a formal accord is reached.