Differences on key issues in n-talks persist: Iran

Key issues are the sources of disagreement between Iran and the world powers in the ongoing nuclear talks, Iran's senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said Thursday.

"We have not been able to narrow the gaps over the key issues and we have not reached a point of agreement over them," Xinhua quoted Araqchi as telling IRIB state TV, adding that "of course, both sides are at work to reduce the differences".

The Iranian nuclear negotiator did not refer to major differences between Iran and the P5+1 group -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany -- in the talks, but said that some progress has been made in the areas where positions are not so apart.

"What is of importance for us is to insist on our nuclear rights and observe our red lines which would not be transgressed," he said.

Asked about the possibility of promoting the ongoing talks to a higher level, Araqchi said: "No, it is very unlikely, since we have not reached that point yet."

The uranium enrichment capacity of Iran is one of the key issues in the nuclear talks.

The West demands that Iran dramatically lower its enrichment capacity. Western media reported recently that Iran and the world powers were working on a new proposal by the West based on which Iran would be allowed to have more uranium enrichment centrifuges but would be disconnected from the feeds of uranium.

Iranian officials or nuclear negotiators have not made any public comments on the reported proposal so far.

Iran and six countries started a new round of talks over Iran's nuclear programme Friday at the UN headquarters.

In July, Iran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations over Iran's controversial nuclear programme for four more months till Nov 24 as they could not narrow down the significant gaps on core issues during the past six months.

An interim deal, which came into effect Jan 20, was designed to buy time for negotiations. Under the deal, Iran would suspend some sensitive nuclear activities in exchange for limited sanctions relief.