Iran says no nuclear deal better than bad one

TEHRAN/MUNICH - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that no nuclear deal is better than a bad deal, as Iran and world powers gear up for a deadline by the end of March.

"I agree with an agreement (on Iran's nuclear issue) ..., but no agreement is better than any agreement which undermines the interests of our nation," Khamenei said in a meeting with Iran's air force commanders.

"Our (nuclear) negotiators are striving to disarm the enemy with the sanction weapon. If this happens, so much the better; otherwise, everybody should know that there are many mechanisms available in the country which can blunt this weapon," Khamenei was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency.

Negotiation means that all sides should strive to reach common grounds. No single side should expect only their demands to be put in the deal, he said.

"To reach an agreement, Iran accepted to temporarily stop developing its (uranium) enrichment machines, producing 20 percent uranium enrichment, and working on Arak (heavy water plant) and Fordow (underground high-grade uranium facility)," he added.

Still, the West asks for more despite Iran's "logical" fulfillment of its obligations, he added.

Iran agreed to suspend nuclear activities in return for limited ease of sanctions under an interim deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group (namely the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany) on Nov. 24, 2013, pledging to reach a deal by July 2014.

After failing to bridge gaps in 2014, both sides are committed to agreeing on a general framework of the potential deal by the end of March, before heading towards another extended deadline to reach a final deal by July this year.

The Western powers have imposed rounds of diverse sanctions on Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of having been developing atomic weapons under the cover of civilian nuclear plan. Iran rejected the allegations as baseless, and insisted that its nuclear program is solely peaceful.