LONDON (AP) Britain's foreign secretary on Monday said world powers presented a united front to Iran at weekend talks that failed to reach an accord on curbing Tehran's nuclear activities, echoing the U.S. Secretary of State in rejecting reports that France scuttled a deal.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said it would be wrong to suggest that any one Western country had vetoed an agreement, telling U.K. lawmakers there was a strong foundation for the next round of talks and stressing the need to "build momentum."
He acknowledged "some gaps" remained between parties, but said "most of those gaps are now narrow" and others were bridged altogether.
"We are not losing time in pursuing these negotiations," Hague added. The aim now is to produce an interim, first-step agreement that will create the chance of a "comprehensive settlement" with the possibility of limited sanctions relief for Iran, he said.
"Given the extensive nature of Iran's program and the history of its concealment, the detailed terms of any agreement matter greatly," he said.
