U.S. says still hopes Iran will accept nuclear deal

WASHINGTON Oct 23 (Reuters) - The United States still hopes that Iran will respond positively to a U.N.-backed deal on nuclear fuel supply when it makes its formal response next week, the U.S. State Department said on Friday.

"We hope that they will next week provide a positive response," department spokesman Ian Kelly told a news briefing, adding that "obviously we would have preferred to have a response today. We approach this with a sense of urgency."

The International Atomic Energy Agency had set a Friday deadline for Iran to respond to the proposal, but Tehran said it needed until the middle of next week to provide its full response. (Reporting by Andrew Quinn; editing by Anthony Boadle)