High Peak Liberal Democrats

European leaders rushed to praise the nuclear agreement reached Tuesday by six world powers and Iran, saying they hoped the painstakingly negotiated deal would pave the way for deeper collaboration on security issues in the Middle East.

While Israeli leaders called the nuclear deal a mistake and demanded that the U.S. Congress kill it, European Council President Donald Tusk said that if implemented the agreement "could be a turning point" for Iran's relationships with the rest of the world.

Iran and the six world powers, including the U.K, France, China and Russia, reached the deal after more than a decade of negotiations, striking a compromise over United Nations inspections of Iranian military sites in return for the gradual lifting of sanctions.

"The world is making headway," French President François Hollande said in his traditional annual interview on France's national day. "Now that Iran will have bigger financial capabilities - as there will no longer be sanctions - we must be extremely vigilant on what Iran will be."

European Parliament President Martin Schulz added: "After years of sanctions and tense relations, this agreement makes everyone better-off."

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans called the agreement "historic" and saluted EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini for her role in the negotiations. She announced the deal alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

"One should never use the qualification 'historic' lightly, but in the case of the agreement reached with Iran, this morning in Vienna, [it] is almost an understatement," Timmermans wrote on his Facebook page. "Very proud of Federica Mogherini and grateful to all the foreign ministers directly involved in the negotiations."

Guy Verhofstadt, president of the centrist Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group in the European Parliament, called the deal "proof that solutions to dangerous conflicts can be found at the negotiating table."