Iran-EU talks fail

Iran and top EU powers failed yesterday to resolve a stand-off over its nuclear work before a UN atomic watchdog meeting next week that may lead to Security Council action over fears Tehran secretly seeks nuclear bombs.

After two-hour talks in Vienna at Iran's request, foreign ministers or top diplomats from Germany, France and Britain, as well as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, said Tehran had no new ideas on how to allay concerns about its intentions.

They repeated to Iran that it must shelve enrichment-related work to regain trust and spawn fresh negotiations on trade incentives, which could include Russia's offer to purify uranium for Iran to prevent possible siphoning into bomb production.

The EU leaders said Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani gave no sign it would back off from its quest for sensitive nuclear technology that it says is meant only to generate electricity, not build bombs as the West suspects.

Iran had no immediate comment. No more talks were scheduled.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors convenes on Monday to weigh a report by the IAEA chief saying essentially Iran has ignored a February 4 board resolution urging it to shelve uranium-enrichment work to ease the crisis.