Khamenei backs Iran nuclear team against parliament critics

Iranian officials must stand firm on the country's stance during nuclear negotiations with the P5+1 countries to secure the nation's interests, Iranian supream leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said.

"On the nuclear issues, (Iran's) stance is the same as we have explicitly announced; the very same points have been announced to authorities verbally and in writing. These are the fundamental positions of the Islamic establishment," Ayatollah Khamenei said in a Wednesday meeting with Iranian Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani and lawmakers, Press TV reported.

The Leader added that the settlement of the country's nuclear issue will be facilitated by tapping into domestic potential.

"If we boost production and use domestic potentialities, (this will) not only solve local problems, but facilitate the settlement of foreign issues such as the nuclear one," said the Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the Iranian nuclear negotiating team was making genuine efforts to settle the issues pertaining to the country's nuclear programme.

Khamenei further noted that Iran also has a look to issues other than the country's nuclear programme in its dealing with the West.

"Within the framework of the issues that we have with the US, West and Zionism, we also foresee numerous topics other than the nuclear issue such as human rights, but if we focus on domestic capabilities ... it will be easy to settle these issues as well," the Leader underlined.

"I know that we are faced with a lack of resources, and sanctions have contributed to the shortage of resources. Find the solution," he said.

"The solution is to economise," said the Leader, adding priorities should be taken into account.

Khamenei emphasised that a lack of resources should not be used as an "excuse" to refrain from "doing one's job."