U.S., Iran both counter-attack critics of nuclear deal

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani arrives for a bilateral meeting with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on the sideline of the Asian African Conference in Jakarta April 23, 2015. EUTERS/Mast Irham/Pool

WASHINGTON/DUBAI, (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani both counter-attacked on Thursday against conservatives at home who are trying to block last week's nuclear deal.

In Washington, Kerry told sceptical lawmakers that rejection of the accord would give Tehran "a great big green light" to accelerate its atomic programme.