WASHINGTON: The United States said on Saturday after inconclusive talks with Iran that Tehran had a choice between cooperation or conflict and negotiations could begin with Washington only if sensitive nuclear work ended.

“We hope the Iranian people understand that their leaders need to make a choice between cooperation, which would bring benefits to all, and confrontation, which can only lead to further isolation,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack after the Geneva talks, attended for the first time by senior US diplomat William Burns.

He said Burns did not meet separately with any member of the Iranian delegation and the EU’s Javier Solana delivered a clear message to the Iranians but did not get a straight answer in return.—Reuters