MOSCOW, March 1: Iran and Russia failed on Wednesday to secure a breakthrough in high-stakes negotiations aimed at easing global fears over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“Details of the proposal for creating a joint venture on Russian territory for enriching uranium were discussed, however there has so far been no decisive breakthrough,” an unnamed informed source within the Russian delegation told the official ITAR-TASS news agency.

The negotiations were seen as a last chance for a deal to assuage worries over Iran’s nuclear ambitions before a meeting on Monday of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that will decide whether to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council for action.

The source said the talks had been concluded and the Iranian delegation, led by the country’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, planned to fly back to Tehran on Thursday.

Mr Larijani, for his part, reaffirmed Iran’s insistence on its right to enrich uranium, which can be the fuel for nuclear reactors but also the material for atomic weapons.

“The enrichment process is the sovereign right of all states,” he said.—AFP