Tuesday, March 21 2006 12:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: The UN Security Council's five veto-wielding members and Germany failed to reach an agreement on how to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue after holding four hours of talks but all sides commited to a new round of meetings to break the impasse.

The meeting was billed as an attempt to develop a long term strategy to deter Iran from producing any nuclear weapon but there was vast chasm in the positions taken by the United States, Britain and France on one side and Russia and China on the other.

The deadlock came as US and European officials said that Britain had presented Washington with a paper containing diplomatic strategy to resolve the crisis, including new talks and concessions, a US daily reported. However, the US representative at the talks John Sawers said there was no such proposal at the meeting.

At the meeting last night, officials were joined by their United Nations Ambassadors struggling to produce a consensus text for the presidential statement on the Iranian nuclear issue. But no agreement could be reached in the face of strong opposition by Russia, backed by China, to the draft prepared by Britain and France with the backing of the US.

The drafters would have another look at the draft to see if Russian views can be accommodated. The statement requires okay by all 15 members of the Council. Russia, diplomats say, is wary of what might follow the statement and it wants to ensure that a member or group of members cannot interpret it that it authorizes them to take any action.

Britain and France were reported to be considering bringing in the Council a resolution under chapter seven of the Charter which makes it enforceable after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports non compliance by Tehran to the demand made by the Council in the presidential statement.

The ministerial level talks were aimed at developing long-term strategy to deal with Iran which the United States and its allies suspect is insisting on enriching uranium itself with the aim of producing nuclear weapons.

But Iran contends that enriching uranium is its right under the Nuclear Non proliferation Treaty to which it is a party and that it only wants to refine uranium for its civilian power plants.

Most diplomats described the discussions as 'useful' and that they would be continued at the Security Council which is discussing a presidential statement.

US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told reporters that they remain 'convinced that we will see a presidential statement. It just may take a couple of days.'

"All agreed that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and is out of compliance with its international commitments. All agreed that they should stay united, stay together, to send one message" he added.