MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) – Western diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program may not have breathed their last but the troubled process appears to be on life support after talks this week failed to resolve a row stirring regional tensions and unsettling oil markets.

Mindful of a possible Israel strike, both Iran and its negotiating partners are keen to pursue even a minimal level of contact to shore up the process despite the failure of the negotiations in Moscow on Monday and Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program will not last indefinitely and Tehran should expect more sanctions if it fails to address international suspicions over the nature of its work, a senior U.S. administration official said on Tuesday.

Speaking after two days of discussions in Moscow between Iran and six world powers that failed to produce a breakthrough, the official said Iran needed to take concrete steps to avoid further economic pressure.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – World powers and Iran failed to secure a breakthrough at talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Tuesday and set no date for more political negotiations, despite the threat of a new Middle East conflict if diplomacy collapses.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said after two days of talks in Moscow that significant differences remained and that the two sides had agreed only on a technical follow-up meeting in Istanbul on July 3.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Iran had “intense and tough” talks on Monday with the six world powers concerned about its nuclear programme, but there was no clear progress towards e2nding a decade-long dispute which risks sparking a new Middle East war.

A spokesman for the head of the delegation talking to Iran held out hope for a result on the second, final day of talks.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – World powers began two days of talks with Iran on Monday to try to end a decade-long stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear programme and avert the threat of a new war in the Middle East.

In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran would be prepared to stop enriching uranium to a higher level – a process that could be used to make nuclear arms – if the six powers agreed to meet its needs for the fuel. But it is not clear how much influence Ahmadinejad has over the negotiations and whether his remarks reflect Tehran’s position in the talks.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – World powers began two days of talks with Iran on Monday to try to end a decade-long stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear program and avert the threat of a new war in the Middle East.

Experts and diplomats say a breakthrough is unlikely, with Iran expected to demand recognition of its right to enrich uranium for what it says is a purely peaceful nuclear program.

MOSCOW, June 18 (Reuters) – World powers began two days of
talks with Iran on Monday to try to end a decade-long stand-off
over Tehran’s nuclear programme and avert the threat of a new
war in the Middle East.

Experts and diplomats say a breakthrough is unlikely, with
Iran expected to demand recognition of its right to enrich
uranium for what it says is a purely peaceful nuclear programme.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – World powers began two days of talks with Iran on Monday to try to end a decade-long stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear program and avert the threat of a new war in the Middle East.

Experts and diplomats say a breakthrough is unlikely, with Iran expected to demand recognition of its right to enrich uranium for what it says is a purely peaceful nuclear program.

MOSCOW, June 18 (Reuters) – World powers will seek to avert
a collapse of diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear programme at talks
starting in Moscow on Monday, hoping to win concessions from
Tehran and forestall a potential new war in the Middle East.

Consequences of failure could be devastating. Israel has
threatened to bomb Iran if no solution to the dispute is found
, oil markets are nervous over the prospect of
intensifying regional tensions and the frail world economy can
ill afford further spikes in the price of crude.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union officials said on Monday that Iran has agreed to discuss a proposal from six world powers to curb its production of high-grade uranium at a meeting in Moscow next week in an apparent de-escalation of tensions ahead of the talks.

The development follows more than two weeks of wrangling between Iranian diplomats and Western negotiators over preparations for the closely-watched round of nuclear talks which had cast some doubts over what can be achieved in Moscow.