Update: Iran "resolute" over peaceful nuclear rights

Iran is firm and resolute over its nuclear rights and is ready to prove that its nuclear activities are peaceful, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said here on Sunday.

"As for the nuclear issue, the Islamic republic is after the peaceful use of nuclear energy and wants to enjoy its rights within the framework of international regulations and the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT," Rouhani said in a meeting with the visiting Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic.

"We (Iran and the world powers) have had very good talks over the past year and are very close to an agreement," he said, adding that "political will is needed to accelerate the results in the talks."

A comprehensive nuclear agreement would be in the interest of both Iran and the P5+1 group, including Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany, and it will benefit global peace, stability and security, the Iranian president stressed.

For her part, Pusic said that "despite the difficulties, significant progress has been reached in the nuclear talks, and those who favor peace and stability in the world are hopeful about the solution and agreement in Iran's nuclear issue."

Also, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif warned the western states on Sunday to avoid exerting further pressure on Tehran, saying that intensifying sanctions will backfire, according to semi-official Fars news agency.

"The negotiations should yield results but the western and U.S. politicians should know that sanctions have yielded nothing ... and continued pressures on Iran will be useless," Zarif said in a joint press conference with his Croatian counterpart.

Croatia is opposed to any new sanctions against the Islamic republic and supports negotiations over Iran's nuclear issue, Vesna Pusic said.

Iran and the six powers agreed in November 2014 to extend the deadline for another seven months aimed to reach a political agreement within the next five months.

How much nuclear capability Iran can keep, and the steps to lift West-imposed sanctions against Tehran are the main sticking points for the ongoing negotiations.

Iran's foreign minister and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held talks about Tehran's nuclear program on Friday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss city of Davos.

Deputy foreign ministers from Iran are going to sit down with diplomats from the UK, France and Germany in the Turkish city of Istanbul later this month to further discuss Iran's nuclear issue, according to Press TV report on Saturday. Endit