Iran Nuclear Talks Conclude Without A Deal

Talks to curb Iran's nuclear programme end without agreement, as France is believed to have taken a tough stance on conditions.

Talks in Geneva aimed at reaching a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme have failed. Western diplomats had earlier warned a deal was looking increasingly unlikely between six world powers and Iran over concerns the country is enriching uranium for use in atomic weapons rather than in a civilian nuclear energy programme, as it claims. The talks are rumoured to have stalled over the French and possibly USA request that Iran reduce its stockpiles of 20% uranium by oxidising it, putting it further away from being weapons grade material but still usable in a fuel programme.Tehran has always insisted its programme is for energy and other civil purposes, not military. There was also a demand by at least one country that Iran will not fully open its plutonium plant at Arak next year. France was believed to have holded-out for tougher conditions to be placed on Iran in return for the possible lifting of some sanctions, At a press conference, Mr Fabius said: "From the start, France wanted an agreement to the important question of Iran's nuclear programme."The Geneva meeting allowed us to advance, but we were not able to conclude because there are still some questions to be addressed." European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "We're not going into the details of our discussions but I pay tribute to all the ministers, including Laurent Fabius' attempt to try and help support this process." Iranian foreign minister Mohammed Javad Zarif said the talks were "very good" describing them as something to build on. "It was natural that when we start dealing with the detail there will be differences," he said. "If we agreed then we would not need to be here. We are all on the same wavelength and that is important. We had a very good three days, a very productive three days, and it's something we can build on."Optimism about a potential breakthrough in the decade-long dispute were raised when senior politicians - including US secretary of state John Kerry and Foreign Secretary William Hague - joined the talks. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and a Chinese deputy foreign minister also flew in to take part. Fabius had earlier told France Inter radio that Paris could not accept a "fool's game". His pointed remarks hinted at a rift within the Western camp. A Western diplomat close to the negotiations said the French were trying to upstage the other powers."The Americans, the EU and the Iranians have been working intensively together for months on this proposal, and this is nothing more than an attempt by Fabius to insert himself into relevance late in the negotiations," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Sky's Foreign Affairs editor Tim Marshall said: "I really think they were close. The Iranians were slightly less disappointed but I think Laurent Fabius is going to take some heat from this. "The US and Britain have led the toughest line against the Iranians in the last five years but France has been as tough as anyone, if not tougher." Asked whether it was French objections which scuppered any deal, Baroness Ashton said the country's foreign minister Laurent Fabius "came determined to try to help this process". France had "played an important role as they do in every negotiation", she told reporters. Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said the atmosphere at the talks was "completely different" from a few months ago. "We must continue to apply ourselves in the coming weeks, building on the progress that has been made," he said. Baroness Ashton announced that senior political officials would meet again on November 20 to try to clinch a deal.