GENEVA, Feb 8: Officials from European heavyweights Britain, France and Germany on Tueaday warned Iran about activities that verge on "breaches" of a deal to freeze nuclear fuel cycle work in talks that opened in Geneva.

Britain, France and Germany "read the riot act to the Iranians", a diplomat close to the talks, which is aimed at getting Iran to guarantee that it is not developing nuclear weapons, said.

The European trio, who are leading the negotiations for the European Union, are following advice from UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei "who has warned Iran in two letters in December and January" about quality control work on centrifuge parts despite an agreed freeze on nuclear fuel cycle work, said the diplomat, who asked not to be named.

In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said that the Europeans were "serious" in their hope for a diplomatic solution and that "seriousness on both sides is necessary." But Iran was warning that it is running out of patience in talks that began in December on suspending uranium enrichment in return for possible cooperation in atomic technology, regional security and nuclear verification.

The talks are to lead to a high-level meeting in March, and Iran wants to see movement by then toward receiving those incentives.

"If the talks are not progressing, we are not obliged to continue," top Iranian national security official Hassan Rowhani told state television in Tehran.

The United States would have to support the process, especially with trade carrots such as Iran joining the World Trade Organization on the table. But Washington is not part of the European initiative and claims that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons.

The Geneva talks are being conducted in strict secrecy, with diplomats stressing that the long-term negotiations require confidence-building on both sides.-AFP