IRAN: Russia says the big powers should defer any decision on action against Iran until after a UN deadline set for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment. Britain, however, predicted that Iran would not comply in time.
Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said world powers had failed to agree on sanctions at a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday because some, including Russia, wanted to wait until the UN nuclear watchdog reports on Iranian compliance on April 28th.
"No final documents were worked out as we are convinced of the need to wait for the IAEA report due at the end of the month," Mr Lavrov said.
Russia and China oppose sanctions and both have veto power in the United Nations Security Council. At the end of March the council gave Iran a month to halt enrichment and answer questions from the International Atomic Energy Agency on its nuclear programme.
British foreign secretary Jack Straw said he doubted that Iran would comply with UN demands by the deadline. "We are working on the basis that Iran will not meet the proposals from the security council on the 30-day deadline," Mr Straw told BBC radio during a visit to Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, an Iranian delegation was on its way to Moscow for talks on the dispute, foreign minister Manoucher Mottaki told state radio.
He said officials from the foreign ministry and the supreme national security council would "discuss possible solutions which could pave the way to reach a comprehensive understanding based on a recognition of Iran's right to nuclear technology".
French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy joined Mr Lavrov in saying discussion of sanctions should await the IAEA report. "For the moment we're not there yet," he said. "Let's wait for April 28th."
Tuesday's meeting of deputy foreign ministers from Russia, China, the US, Germany, France and Britain underlined international differences over punitive action against Iran. The US, Britain and France want the security council to approve targeted sanctions against Tehran.
Senior Iranian officials were also due to meet counterparts from Britain, France and Germany in Moscow yesterday, an EU diplomat said. Iran had requested the meeting, but he did not expect "a breakthrough".