'Now's the time for nuclear deal': Iran FM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif told the Munich Security Conference on Sunday that now was the time to reach a deal with his country over its controversial nuclear program, saying progress had been made in recent months.

"This is the opportunity to do it, and we need to seize this opportunity," he said. "It may not be repeated."

Zarif said although not reaching an agreement would not be "the end of the world," he did "not believe another extension is in the interests of anybody."

Sanctions 'a liability'

He also urged that sanctions imposed on Iran by Western nations over its nuclear activities should be lifted, saying they were a "liability" and that if they had been intended to stop Tehran's nuclear ambitions, they had failed.

To highlight his assertion, Zarif said that when sanctions had been imposed, Iran had 200 centrifuges, as compared with 20,000 now.

Zarif's remarks came after a 90-minute meeting on the sidelines of the conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, with whom he also held talks on Friday.

The US State Department described Sunday's talks as "constructive."

Hoped-for deal

The so-called P5+1 group - Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany - is soon to resume formal negotiations with Iran over its enrichment of uranium and other activities that could produce weapons-grade nuclear material.

The negotiations will aim to agree by late March on a political framework for a final deal by June 30 setting long-term limits on such activities in return for a lifting of sanctions.

Two deadlines for a comprehensive agreement have already been missed.

Iran insists that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production and medical research.

Support from the top

In an Internet statement, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave some backing to Iranian nuclear negotiators, who have been under fire at home from hardliners who oppose any rapprochement with the West.

Although Khamenei rejected any deal running completely against Iran's national interests, he suggested that he would support an agreement in which "one side would not end up getting all it wants."

Khamenei, however, said he opposed formulating a deal in two phases.

"I don't go along with this talk of striking a deal on general principles first and an agreement on the details afterwards," he said. "If they're going to strike a deal, let them agree the principles and the details at the same time."

tj/sms (AP, Reuters)