Iran's FM joins crunch nuclear talks in Vienna

In a last-ditch attempt to finalise a nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, Iran's foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif will fly to Vienna for talks.

"On Saturday morning, [Zarif] will join his deputies who are at the talks drafting the text of a comprehensive agreement," Iranian state news reported.

John Kerry, US secretary of state, will also take part in discussion and has called on Tehran to fix any outstanding issues that will allow the file on Iran's nuclear ambitions to be closed.

"If they are not addressed, there won't be a deal," he stressed on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded that sanctions by international parties be lifted immediately if a deal is to be signed.

Khamenei also reiterated Iran's opposition to UN inspections of military sites.

International powers fear Iran's civilian nuclear programme is a cover for a military one.

Western powers are offering Tehran high-tech reactors under a proposed nuclear agreement, according to AP.

Talks with Iran had gone well until last week the supreme leader cast doubts on whether Tehran was willing to make the necessary concessions to seal a deal.

However, Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, has said that is seeking rapprochement with the outside world through the deal.

"One of the ways of establishing and enhancing national strength is having dialogue with the world over political issues," said Rouhani on Wednesday.

"And the power of interaction is one of the main elements of national strength. As the [supreme] leader put it, we want to negotiate. We don't want to merely take a position, but we seek serious negotiation and fair agreement."

Iran and the so-called P5+1 group [Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States] have been working to a June 30 deadline to finalise an agreement with Iran.