Nuclear Standoff

Larijani and Solana met in the Turkish capital Ankara to try and seek a way through the crisis sparked by Iran's defiance of US Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment.

Iran denies US and EU charges that it is trying to build nuclear weapons.

Larijani told reporters that the talks with Solana aimed to evaluate "new ideas" that might be put on the table, the Anatolia news agency said.

But Solana's spokesperson Cristina Gallach said there were "no changes in the position of the international community" and added that the priority was simply to "create conditions for the beginning of negotiations."

Diplomats said there was little hope of a breakthrough given Iran's steadfast refusal to freeze its enrichment work.

An ongoing crisis

Solana will travel on Thursday to Oslo, where he will brief EU foreign ministers on his meeting with Larijani.

Iran is defying two UN Security Council resolutions to halt enrichment, saying its program is a legitimate effort to generate civilian nuclear power. The Council has imposed limited sanctions as punishment.

Diplomats told AFP that while everyone was trying to find a formula to start talks, the two sides remain far apart on a crisis that began in 2002 when it was revealed that Iran was secretly
building nuclear facilities.

The United States, Europe, Russia and China are ready in a compromise gesture to give Iran a chance to edge its way slowly into stopping uranium enrichment, diplomats said.

The six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- had last June offered economic, technical and security benefits if Iran would agree to the suspension. But Iran pressed ahead and negotiations never started.

Several rounds of talks

Larijani and Solana held several rounds of talks that failed to find a way to start meetings with the six powers. The two envoys last met face-to-face on the sidelines of a Munich security
conference on Feb 11.

Larijani said on Wednesday that progress had been blocked when "some unacceptable, irrational conditions were put forward" -- a clear reference to the demands that Iran suspend enrichment.

"If a solution can be found, it will cost the price of suspension," a European diplomat said.

A second diplomat said one idea would be for Iran to declare a moratorium on moving beyond activities it has already started, such as installing and running some 1,300 centrifuge machines as it seeks to upgrade from current research levels of enrichment to industrial production.

The moratorium could open the way for further talks with Solana, with the UN Security Council holding off on further sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran's proposals involve it keeping at least a reduced level of enrichment work, diplomats said.

Suspension or dismantling?

Non-proliferation expert Gary Samore told AFP by telephone from Washington that Tehran wants the EU to agree to setting up an international consortium in Iran for uranium enrichment. But the major powers want such a consortium, which would process fuel for Iran, to be set up outside the Islamic Republic.

A Western diplomat said talks with the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany would not in any case start before Iran suspends enrichment.

"Suspension does not mean dismantling what they have built," the diplomat said, adding that the major powers were primarily interested in stopping the centrifuges from spinning in the refining of the U-235 isotope that makes for enriched uranium as well as keeping the Iranians from learning how to run centrifuges.

Iran faces a new Security Council deadline in one month, after which more sanctions could be imposed.

The United States has not ruled out a military attack to bring Iran to heel.