US proposes to soften sanctions for Iran

The Bush administration has offered to narrow the scope of proposed United Nations sanctions designed to force Iran to stop enriching uranium.

A UN Security Council resolution should aim at denying technology to Iran for its nuclear industry and its enrichment programmes but not hinder the country's oil and gas production, US under-secretary of state Nicholas Burns said.

Work on a resolution has been bogged down for three weeks by arguments pitting Russia and China against the United States and Europeans.

The disputed proposal is aimed at Tehran's nuclear and missile efforts, but does not specifically omit its oil and gas industries, major parts of Iran's economy