Iranian nuclear talks resume

Talks between European Union and Iranian diplomats over Tehran's nuclear programme resumed Wednesday in the Austrian capital, Vienna.

The talks come after the United Nations nuclear watchdog decided to delay referring Iran to the Security Council. Negotiations broke down in August, after Iran resumed activities related to uranium enrichment. The United States and the EU believe that Iran is pursuing a covert nuclear weapons programme but Tehran says its programme is for purely peaceful civilian purposes.

Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki says his country will insist on the right to enrich its own uranium.

Analysts say a deal is improbable as a series of anti-Israeli comments by Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have led to a deterioration in relations between Tehran and the EU. Washington is pressing for Iran to be referred to the UN Security Council, while the EU has until now sought to resolve the standoff with dialogue, AKI reports.

V.Y.