World powers seek unity on Iran nuke programme

Six world powers struggled today to find common ground on how harshly to criticise Iran, reflecting the difficulties of presenting a united front at upcoming talks with the Islamic Republic meant to coax it into reducing activities that could be used to make a nuclear weapon.

A 35-nation meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board was scheduled to discuss concerns about Iran's nuclear programme today.

But its rapid and unscheduled adjournment reflected the East-West divide.

The United States, Britain, France and Germany seek a joint statement that takes Iran to task for defying UN Security Council resolutions demanding it end uranium enrichment and cooperation with an IAEA probe of suspicions it secretly worked on nuclear arms.

But a senior Western diplomat told The Associated Press that Russia and China -- which have condemned Western sanctions on Iran as counterproductive -- want more moderate language.

He asked for anonymity because his information was privileged.

While divisions along such lines are not new, the fact that diplomats at the IAEA meeting have been unable to bridge them three days into the IAEA meeting reflects poorly on hopes of unity at talks scheduled in the near future between Iran and the six.

Open skepticism within the Western camp about Iran's readiness to negotiate cast further doubt about the outcome of those talks, with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe saying he is not convinced the Islamic Republic is ready to compromise over its nuclear programme.

Speaking for the six powers, who have repeatedly tried and failed to wrest concessions from Iran, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced yesterday that they had agreed to new talks at a still to be determined time and venue.

Even minor progress at such a meeting would serve to lower tensions exacerbated by increasingly frequent warnings from Israel of possible military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

But Juppe said today he's "a bit skeptical" about the outcome after previous failures. "I think Iran is continuing to use double speak," Juppe said on France's i-Tele television.

"That's the reason why we must remain extremely firm on the sanctions we have decided upon, which are from my point of view the best way to avoid a military option, which could have immeasurable consequences."

Iran has steadfastly rejected demands to halt its uranium enrichment, which Washington and its allies worry could be the foundation for a future nuclear weapons programme.

Iran claims it seeks only energy and medical research from its reactors, but it wants full control over the nuclear process from uranium ore to fuel rods.