RUSSIA: Talks on defusing the Iranian nuclear crisis ended without a breakthrough in Moscow last night, making it all but inevitable that the issue will be referred to the UN Security Council.
Iran sent its chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani to head the talks, a sign of the seriousness that Tehran attaches to the growing crisis, while the Moscow delegation was led by Igor Ivanov, head of the Russian Security Council.
But the talks in a Moscow hotel, the third in as many months, made no progress concerning Russia's offer to reprocess Tehran's nuclear fuel.
Moscow says more talks may be held today and insists its reprocessing offer means Iran would have no need to carry out its own enrichment research, which the United States says can be used to make nuclear weapons.
Russian president Vladimir Putin, visiting Hungary, said the process was open-ended: "We are optimistic we can agree with our Iranian partners. We think we can come to an agreement that a joint venture on the soil of the Russian Federation will be able to meet Iran's needs fully."
But Mr Larijani, Iran's Supreme National Council secretary, was more cautious, insisting that enrichment research will continue even if Russia's offer is accepted because Tehran has peaceful intentions. "A moratorium is necessary if there is something dangerous, but all our activity is transparent and directed towards peaceful nuclear power," he said.
Tehran has already declared that it will continue enrichment research, in defiance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Officially, Russia remains upbeat, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying "a compromise that will not allow any violations of the non-proliferation regime is possible".
But diplomats in Moscow expect no breakthroughs, saying Tehran is unwilling to surrender its option to make nuclear weapons until it has gauged international reaction.
This reaction will come next Monday, when the IAEA reports to its board of governors on Iran's enrichment programme. The IAEA board has already promised that, barring a drastic change of course by Iran, the matter will be referred to the UN Security Council. Russia, together with China, has urged that talk of sanctions with a country it considers an important trading partner be delayed while talks continue.
Yesterday's talks got under way as Egyptian newspapers reported warnings from president Hosni Mubarak that an attack on Iran would inflame opinion in the Middle East.