Iran rejects two-stage nuclear deal by July deadline: spokesperson

Iran does not consider a two-stage nuclear deal in the remaining time leading up to a deadline by July, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, said in her weekly press briefing on Wednesday.

Asked whether the talks for a potential comprehensive nuclear deal will continue if a political framework cannot be agreed on by the end of March, Afkham said based on the November agreement, the talks were extended for another seven months and both Iran and the world powers are committed to the negotiations.

"Obviously, we will not have a two-stage agreement in the course of the negotiations" by the end of the deadline, and the pre-condition of a political framework is not a hindrance to the one-stage agreement, she told reporters.

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, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany) on Nov. 24, 2013.

After failing to bridge gaps last year, both sides are committed to agreeing on a political framework by the end of March, before heading towards another self-imposed deadline by July this year.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif that the United States aimed "to move toward a political framework by the end of March."

In response, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged a single-stage "detailed" agreement, suggesting that an agreement on political framework cannot serve as a prerequisite for the continuation of talks.

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 and all the western sanctions should be lifted "at once" after a final nuclear deal is clinched. Endit