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Bid to break Iran deadlock

Britain, France call off consultations

UNITED NATIONS: Members of the U.N. Security Council sought to break a deadlock over Iran's suspect nuclear programme on Wednesday, after Britain and France abruptly called off consultations because they were no closer to a deal with Russia and China on how to pressure Teheran to stop enriching uranium, diplomats said.

Britain, France and the United States planned to spend much of Wednesday in bilateral talks with each other and Russia and China, going back over proposals for a Council statement. They could circulate a new text late in the day.

The decision to cancel the council discussion Tuesday reflected the failure of the United States and its European allies to get Russia and China on board during a meeting of high-level diplomats in New York the night before.

One council diplomat described that meeting as a setback for British, French and American efforts to craft a tough council response to Iran, which the West believes is seeking nuclear weapons. Russia and China are firm in their belief that any Security Council action should be mild.

``We're trying to get back on track from where we were before last night's meetings,'' said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential. ``The Russians and the Chinese came in guns ablazing.'' The U.S. and its European allies want the Security Council to approve a statement reiterating demands by the IAEA, that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, the process that can be used to generate nuclear power or make nuclear weapons. Iran insists that it is not making a nuclear bomb, a claim the United States disputes.

AP

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