Major powers meet in New York over Iranian nuke standoff

NEW YORK: The six major powers confronting Iran over its suspect nuclear programme met here amid fresh European efforts to avoid taking the US-backed path of imposing sanctions against Tehran.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hosted the meeting on Tuesday night that grouped the foreign ministers of the four other permanent members of the UN Security Council --Britain, China, France and Russia -- as well as Germany and Italy.

The ministers bantered amicably during a brief photo opportunity at the start of their dinner in a private salon of a grand New York hotel, but declined any comment to reporters.

The five permanent Security Council members and Germany, the so-called P5+1 group, have been leading efforts to convince Iran to abandon a uranium enrichment programme they suspect could be a cover for developing nuclear weapons.

The six earlier this year offered Tehran a wide-ranging set of economic and diplomatic incentives to give up the enrichment.

In parallel, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution requiring Iran to suspend the enrichment programme by August 31 or face sanctions.

Iran, which insists its program is designed solely to produce electricity, has so far refused to freeze its enrichment programme.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reaffirmed Iran's right to develop a civilian nuclear power industry in an address to the UN General Assembly shortly before the major powers' dinner began.