Russia Urges More Talks on Tehran

Russia proposed more talks on Iran’s nuclear program as the five U.N. Security Council powers Friday considered a statement to pressure Tehran to clear up questions about whether it is trying to build atomic weapons.

The U.S. said it was time for tough action after three years of failed negotiations.

The five permanent members of the Security Council, who wield veto power, gathered for their second meeting on Iran and were expected to discuss new proposals aimed at getting Tehran to clear up questions about its disputed program.

They met at the U.S. mission to the U.N. several blocks from the U.N. Secretariat building in a bid to avoid media scrutiny.

Ambassador John R. Bolton and other senior American officials have suggested that if the Security Council does not take tough action, Washington might look elsewhere to punish Iran -- possibly by rallying its allies to impose sanctions.

But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei V. Lavrov said talks should be held that include Russia, the U.S., China, France, Germany, Britain and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“We all have to get together again to collectively find a new consensus regarding our strategy at the current stage,” Lavrov said in an interview published on the Foreign Ministry’s website.