World powers delay Iran sanctions action

The world's major powers yesterday agreed to delay a vote on tougher sanctions on Iran until late November at the earliest, depending on reports by the UN nuclear watchdog and a European Union negotiator.

Foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain asked EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to hold more talks with Iran's national security chief, Ali Larijani, while the International Atomic Energy Agency tries to clear up doubts about past nuclear activities.

"We agree to finalise a text for a third UN Security Council sanctions resolution... with the intention of bringing it to a vote... unless the November reports of Dr Solana and (IAEA chief) Dr (Mohamed) ElBaradei show a positive outcome of their efforts," they said in a joint statement.

The outcome was a setback for the United States and France, which had sought swifter action to step up economic and political pressure on the Islamic Republic over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, which the West believes is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.

A European diplomat involved in the process called it "a victory for unity over haste".

Russia and China opposed an early move to tighten economic sanctions, saying Tehran should be given more time to cooperate with the IAEA to shed light on its past activities.