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May 14, 2014: Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addresses the American Jewish Committee Global Forum closing plenary in Washington.AP

WASHINGTON Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday she was "personally skeptical" that Iran would agree to a comprehensive deal to remove its nuclear weapon capabilities but said the Obama administration faced a promising opportunity that required it to "give diplomacy space to work."

Clinton told the American Jewish Committee that American negotiators needed to be "tough" and "clear-eyed" as they conduct nuclear talks but said the ongoing talks in Vienna between six world powers and Iran represented an opportunity to reduce Iran's potential nuclear weapons-making ability. The talks are being conducted ahead of a July 20 target date for a deal.

"To get there we will have to be tough, clear-eyed and ready to walk away and increase the pressure if need be. No deal is better than a bad deal," Clinton said, adding that any agreement that endangers U.S. or Israeli national security should be rejected.

But Clinton called it a "promising development and we need to test it to see what can be achieved. This is a time to give diplomacy space to work. If it does not, there will be opportunities to put in place additional sanctions in the future."

As she considers a potential 2016 presidential campaign, Clinton's speech to the prominent Jewish organization represented one of her most vigorous defenses of her tenure at the State Department and highlighted her work to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions and promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

At a separate, evening forum at the World Bank to discuss gender equality, Clinton again pointed to her work to increase opportunities for women and girls around the world during her time at the State Department. A longtime women's rights champion, that piece of Clinton's biography is likely to play a prominent role should she decide to make a 2016 bid.

"I think of it as the glass half full," Clinton said of women's rights.

"I am increasingly impatient with leaders who willfully ignore the injustice that accompanies the subjugation of women and the upside of change for them and their societies. ... Be impatient. Don't be discouraged."

Sitting on stage with Clinton, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim noted he had flown to Washington that morning after spending time with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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Hillary Clinton: No Iran nuclear deal better than 'bad deal'