Iran: Senior Iranian diplomats have said they would like an "amicable" solution to the international standoff over Tehran's nuclear programme.
However, Iran's ambassador to UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned that the "carrot-and-stick" approach of incentives and sanctions would be "counterproductive" in talks.
"We are determined to keep the door of negotiations and dialogue open," said Ali Asghar Soltanieh yesterday. He said Iran was prepared to enter talks without a precondition to halt its uranium-enrichment programme. Tehran says the programme is vital to secure Iran's future energy needs.
The Iranian remarks appeared designed to dispel suggestions of a disagreement between Iran's civil and religious leaders.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Russian president Vladimir Putin in Shanghai that he is ready to enter negotiations on the incentives package proposed by western leaders earlier this month.
"The Iranian side responded positively to the six-nation proposal for a way out of the crisis," Mr Putin said to journalists.
But in Tehran, Iran's supreme Islamic leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country would not yield to outside pressure to stop uranium enrichment.
"Let me tell you, the importance of achieving and using nuclear energy is higher than oil exploration for our country," he said, according to Iranian state-run television.
Earlier this month, western powers agreed a programme of trade and technology incentives for Iran, including nuclear plant technology and a foreign supply of enriched uranium. In return, Tehran would agree to a long-term ban on enriching uranium until the IAEA could establish it was not intended for weapons.
Reports about Iran's obstruction of these efforts were on the order of business of the IAEA meeting in Vienna yesterday.
US diplomats said they hoped Iran would accept the deal. A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry urged "patience and flexibility" on both sides.
Russia and China are likely to use their powers as permanent members of the UN security council to veto sanctions or military action.
France's chief delegate at the IAEA complained yesterday that Tehran's co-operation with the UN organisation had "been reduced to almost nothing these last few months".
