Iran’s nuclear negotiator and the EU foreign policy chief say progress has been made in the search for a compromise to avoid possible UN sanctions against Iran. Iran’s Ari Larijani said some misunderstandings had been cleared up over Tehran’s atomic programme and that common points of view had been reached. The EU’s Javier Solana was equally optimistic: “We have made progress, and we want to continue that line. For that purpose we are going to meet again next week, and I want to say as I said before the meeting has been worth it,” he said.

Tensions arose after Iran ignored a UN security council deadline to stop enrichment work by the end of August. The Iranians had been offered trade incentives if they complied. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pressed ahead with Iran’s heavy water reactor project last month despite international objections, insists his country’s aims are totally peaceful.

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