Iran, six powers, set for nuclear talks

Istanbul Iran and the six world powers prepared Friday for rare talks aimed at easing fears that a deepening dispute over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme could plunge the Middle East into a new war.

Officials from Iran and the six major powers arrived in Istanbul ahead of today's bid to restart stalled diplomacy following months of soaring tension and persistent speculation that Israel might attack Iranian nuclear sites.

The meeting is widely seen as a chance for the powers — the United States, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany — and Iran to halt a downward diplomatic spiral and start to seek ways out of years of deadlock.

Western diplomats have expressed cautious optimism that Iran, which has seen its oil exports squeezed by tough sanctions, may be ready to discuss curbs to its nuclear programme to ease the pressure.

But Iran's English-language state television, Press TV, cited sources close to Iran's delegation as saying Tehran saw "few encouraging points" in the remarks of US and European officials.

The West accuses Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability and Israel has hinted at pre-emptive military strikes to prevent its arch foe from obtaining such arms.

Iran, which has promised to put forward "new initiatives" in Istanbul, says its nuclear programme is peaceful and has repeatedly ruled out suspending it.

Diplomats and analysts played down any expectations of a major breakthrough in the meeting.

Uranium enrichment

Western officials have made clear their immediate priority is to convince Tehran to cease the higher-grade uranium enrichment it began in 2010. It has since expanded that work, shortening the time it would need for any weapons "break out".

Iran has signalled some flexibility over halting its enrichment to a fissile purity of 20 per cent — compared with the 5 per cent level required for nuclear power plants — but also suggests it is not ready to do so yet.

The talks "will begin a very complex negotiation, and for several months diplomacy will take some pressure off oil prices and help keep the chance of Israeli strikes very low," Cliff Kupchan, a Middle East analyst at the Eurasia Group, said.