No deal in talks over Iran nuke program

BAGHDAD -- Tough negotiations between Iran and world powers over Tehran's nuclear program ended yesterday with a plan to meet next month in Moscow for another round of talks, but agreement on little else.

The open channels between Iran and the six-nation bloc -- the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany -- are seen as the most hopeful chances in years of outreach between Washington and Tehran. They could push back threats of military action that have shaken oil markets and brought worries of triggering a wider Middle East conflict.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the two sides agreed to continue the discussions June 18-19 in Moscow in hopes of a breakthrough on international concerns about the Islamic Republic's ability to build atomic weapons.

The announcement capped two days of negotiations in Baghdad, where at times it appeared Tehran would withdraw from in frustration over the West's refusal so far to scale back tough economic sanctions.

"It is clear that we both want to make progress, and that there is some common ground," Ashton, who is leading the talks, told reporters at the end of the talks. "However, significant differences remain."

Israeli leaders have been critical of the talks, claiming they allow Iran to buy time and drive a wedge between Washington and Jerusalem.

Iran went into the talks seeking guarantees the West will scale back its sanctions, which have targeted critical oil exports and have effectively blackballed the country from international banking networks. Thursday, Iran's negotiators rejected proposals to curb its nuclear program without getting much in return, calling them unbalanced. -- AP