Iranian nuclear talks at difficult moment: US

Moscow, Aug 17 (IANS) The US has denied that the nuclear talks between Iran and major world powers have failed, saying that they are rather at a difficult moment, Xinhua reported.

"I don't believe they (the talks) have failed, but they are at a difficult moment," visiting US under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told Interfax news agency in an interview published Friday.

The P5+1 group, including Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany, had taken basic confidence-building steps for the nuclear talks, and Iran should come back to the negotiating table "with far greater seriousness of purpose", Sherman said.

The P5+1 proposals, which could be summarised as "stop, shut and ship", called for Iran to stop enriching uranium up to 20 percent, close its nuclear facilities and take the already 20-percent-enriched uranium out of the country.

Iran has said it will temporarily halt its 20 percent enrichment in exchange for a lift of all sanctions against it, according to the diplomat.

Calling such a demand an "unreasonable non-starter", Sherman urged Iran to resume talks with world powers to avoid further isolation.

"They would see continued sanctions and sanction enforcement, and there will be great consequences for them," she said.