Major powers sought to narrow differences over sanctions against Iran last night as a new deadline loomed for it to suspend its nuclear programme.
US undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said there were still differences among the major powers on what sanctions would be imposed if Iran failed to halt uranium enrichment as the UN Security Council has demanded.
Senior officials of the United States, France, Russia, China, Britain, Germany and the European Union were meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and while there was said to be some headway, no decision was due.
Foreign ministers were to discuss the nuclear standoff at a meeting of the Group of Eight industrial countries, which includes Italy, Japan and Canada.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: "I have great confidence that everyone is committed to both the letter and the spirit of Resolution 1696 which insists that if Iran is not willing to suspend its nuclear activities and enter into negotiations, then we will have Security Council action".
"I am absolutely certain of that and we will do so. We want to give diplomacy its best chance but I can assure you that time is not endless," she told reporters.
The six major powers made a proposal in June for economic, technological and political cooperation if Iran halted work the West suspects is designed to produce atomic weapons, but Tehran insists is for electricity generation.
After Iran ignored a UN deadline to halt enrichment by August 31st, major power foreign ministers agreed this week to give their negotiator, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, until early October to reach a deal with Tehran on starting talks, diplomats said.
They have threatened to impose graduated sanctions, beginning with travel and financial restrictions on officials and agencies involved in the nuclear program, if Iran persists in its work.