AKIPRESS.COM - Marathon talks towards an Iran nuclear deal picked up pace Friday as US President Barack Obama appealed to Tehran to seize an "historic" opportunity and begin a "brighter future", reports AFP.

In Switzerland, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart began their fifth day of talks, while in Brussels the leaders of Germany, France and Britain also met.

In a Nowruz (Persian New Year) video address, Obama said that a "reasonable nuclear deal... can help open the door to a brighter future for you the Iranian people."

"I believe that our nations have an historic opportunity to resolve this issue peacefully -- an opportunity we should not miss," Obama said.

In an apparent response, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said it was the other side that had to make a decision.

"Iranians have already made their choice: engage with dignity. It's high time for the US and its allies to chose: pressure or agreement," Zarif wrote in a message posted on his official Twitter account.