Update: Iran seeks "quick" nuclear agreement: spokeswoman

The Islamic republic is seeking quick agreement with the world powers over its nuclear issue, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, said on Wednesday.

"As Mr. (Mohammad-Javad) Zarif has announced in his latest remarks, we want to reach an agreement as soon as possible," Afkham said, added "but not at any cost."

The Iranian nuclear negotiators use every opportunity to narrow down the differences with the P5+1 group, including Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany, in a run for a comprehensive nuclear deal, she said in her weekly press briefing.

Iranian nuclear experts are also actively engaged in the negotiation process and the country has proposed its initiatives to this end, she said.

"Although the talks are very sensitive and difficult and the gaps have been tapered, we still need further negotiations," Afkham said.

"The negotiations are at the crucial stage and, as many observe, only a few steps are left (for conclusion), and the final steps are highly significant," she said.

The Iranian spokeswoman reiterated earlier remarks by the Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif, stressing that "nobody will suffer the loss from the (potential) agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group, and we hope that all the countries will be realistic in this regard."

Asked about some of the U.S. lawmakers' push for more sanctions on the Islamic republic, Afkham said "we have always announced that the sanctions are an outdated tool and we hope that they have learned from the responses of the sanction policy and avoid further sanctions."

In the meantime, "we are cognizant about the new developments in the United States" over Iran's nuclear issue, she said.

On Tuesday, several Democratic Senators in the U.S. Congress pledged not to push new sanctions legislature against Iran before March 24, giving President Barack Obama breathing room to reach a nuclear deal with the Islamic republic.

The sanctions bill would tighten economic restrictions on Iran if negotiators fail to reach a deal by June 30, the self-imposed deadline for a comprehensive agreement between world powers and Iran.

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

Deputy foreign ministers from Iran are going to sit down with diplomats from the UK, France and Germany in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Thursday to further discuss Iran's nuclear issue. Endit