DUBAI - Iran on Tuesday warned Western countries that pressuring Tehran with sanctions while engaged in nuclear talks would jeopardize chances of reaching an agreement.
"This approach of pressure concurrent with negotiations will never work. These countries should not enter negotiations with such illusions and misinterpretations," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news conference.
"They have their own wrong conceptions and this will stop them from coming to a speedy and constructive agreement," he said in the conference broadcast by state network Press TV.
At last week's talks in Baghdad, Iran pushed for the lifting of sanctions on its oil and banking sectors as a sign of goodwill.
European Union states are to impose a total ban on shipments of Iranian crude oil in July. European diplomats say this tactic will not change until Tehran takes tangible steps to curb its nuclear activity.
Further US legislation that targets Iran's oil industry is to come into force on June 28, days after the next meeting between Iran and world powers in Moscow.
The United States and its allies suspect Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its activities are entirely peaceful.
