Iran nuclear stance disappointing, Britain says

MONTERREY, Mexico, Oct 4: Britain is ''extremely disappointed'' by Iran's unwillingness to curtail its nuclear program, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said today.

She said Iran appeared to be dragging its feet in the long dispute, which could lead to UN sanctions against Tehran.

''It is extremely disappointing that even after so many months the Iranians seem not to have been able to come forward with a stance that will enable us to enter into negotiations,'' Beckett told Reuters during a visit to Mexico.

The United States and Britain said earlier today that Iran could soon face sanctions because it showed no sign of halting sensitive nuclear work, which the West suspects is aimed at making an atom bomb.

Beckett would not comment on remarks by a senior British official who said world powers were preparing to draft UN sanctions against Iran as talks had failed so far to yield a deal.

''This is a very serious issue. We want to resolve it through peaceful negotiations, and hope very much that the Iranian government will still do so,'' she said at a conference on climate change in the northern city of Monterrey.

Iran failed to suspend uranium enrichment by an August 31 deadline set by the UN Security Council but US calls for swift moves toward sanctions have met resistance from some European states, keen for more talks, and opposition from Russia and China.

''A number of people have assumed all the way through that we are not going to be able to reach agreement and not going to be able to act together, but up to now we have and we shall continue trying to do so. There are a lot of discussions taking place,'' Beckett said.

Reuters