Major powers end Iran talks with no firm plan

Washington: Major powers negotiated on Friday over a fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran to curb its nuclear programme, but ended with no firm commitments amid Russian and Chinese resistance to more punitive measures.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the meeting of senior officials from the permanent five members of the UN Security Council - Britain, France, the United States, Russia and China - and Germany concluded without agreement on either the timing or content of a new UN resolution on Iran.

He said the six countries again urged Iran to accept an offer of trade and other incentives presented in June in exchange for giving up uranium enrichment. Tehran has not accepted the offer and has said it will not give up sensitive nuclear work.

Iran says its nuclear programme is intended to generate more power for the Islamic republic and not to build an atomic bomb as charged by the West.