Iran nuclear talks 'have failed'

Iran and six world powers failed to reach agreement today on a common approach to reducing fears that Tehran might misuse its nuclear technology to make weapons, with the EU’s foreign policy chief declaring that the two sides “remain far apart on substance”.

Expectations that the negotiations were making progress rose as an afternoon session was extended into the evening. But comments by Baroness Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s head of foreign policy, made clear that the two sides failed to make enough headway to qualify the meeting as a success.