Better no deal than a bad one

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said yesterday that he would rather see no deal reached with major powers on his country's nuclear programme than one that undercuts national interests.

His comments came as US Secretary of State John Kerry met Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and held a second round of talks in Munich yesterday, meeting for about 90 minutes as they tried to hammer out a political accord to rein in Iran's atomic ambitions ahead of a March 31 deadline.

"I agree with a deal that can take place but I do not agree with a bad deal," the Iranian leader said, according to the Khamenei.ir website.

"It's better to have no agreement than one that goes against our national interests," he told air force commanders.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif yesterday appeared to rule out any new extension to tough negotiations with world powers over his country's suspect nuclear programme.

"I do not think another extension is in the interest of anyone, as I do not believe this extension was either necessary or useful," Zarif told a global security conference, meeting in the southern German city of Munich.

"In my view extension is not useful, not conducive to an agreement, and all my energy and focus and that of my colleagues and I'm sure my negotiating partners .... are all focused on reaching an agreement as early as possible."

Few details of the tough negotiations have leaked, but world powers are trying to ensure that Iran's pathways to developing a nuclear weapon are cut, in return for a gradual easing of international sanctions which have crippled Iran's economy.

Zarif refused to publicly discuss the details of the negotiations for an accord, but said "we are engaged in a very serious discussion."