Iran urges US to stop pressuring it over nuclear deal

Iran's foreign ministry has urged the US to abandon the illusion of pressuring Tehran as means to change its nuclear stance.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said Iran was standing firm on its inalienable rights and will never withdraw, the Press TV reported Friday.

She said the US hostility would never force Tehran to give up its nuclear rights.

"The US is trying to impose a new negative atmosphere on the talks," Afkham said.

The spokeswoman made the remarks after US Secretary of State John Kerry said the Geneva deal froze Iran's nuclear energy programme and forced it to destroy some of its uranium stockpile while the sanctions against Iran remain in place.

Afkham said such remarks tarnish the positive atmosphere between Iran and the six major world powers ahead of a new round of talks.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Russia, China, France, Britain and the US plus Germany are scheduled to hold the next round of the nuclear talks in the Austrian capital Vienna Feb 18.

The meeting will come in light of the implementation of the interim nuclear deal between Iran and the six of world powers which was signed in Geneva last November.

Under the nuclear deal, the six countries agreed to provide Iran with some sanctions relief in exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during a six-month period.

It was also agreed that no new sanctions would be imposed on Iran within the same timeframe.