Iran and Russia held more nuclear talks on Tuesday as the UN Security Council prepared to consider US-led demands that it send a "very strong message" to Tehran over its suspected weapons programme.
The closed-door talks in Moscow were launched at Iran's request on Monday, the same day that Russia accused Tehran of obstructing efforts to find a diplomatic solution. Russia's Security Council reported no progress in Tuesday's session, but said the talks would continue.
It did not say if the two sides were discussing Moscow's proposal to enrich uranium on Iran's behalf as a way to ensure Tehran can get fuel for nuclear reactors but without being able to master technology that can also be used to build bombs.
Previous talks have stumbled on Iran's insistence on doing some enrichment at home. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday he was "disappointed" by Iran's approach.
There was no hint of compromise from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was quoted by state television as saying any retreat on the nuclear issue would break the Islamic Republic's independence and force it to retreat in other areas.
"Therefore, the path is irreversible and the foreign policy apparatus must defend that right bravely," he said.
With the full UN Security Council due to meet later in the day to consider how to deal with Iran, China urged Tehran to cooperate with UN inspectors and pursue talks with Russia.
"China believes that under current conditions, the Russian proposal remains a meaningful attempt to break through the stalemate," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
China and Russia, both with big commercial stakes in Iran, oppose any UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic. They have yet to endorse a draft Security Council statement that calls on Iran to halt uranium enrichment and seeks an early report from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency on Tehran's compliance with the UN watchdog's demands.
The 15-member council will be briefed on the statement that Britain, France and the United States want it to adopt after the IAEA declared last week it could not verify Iran's assertion that its nuclear programme was entirely for peaceful purposes.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was confident a strong international consensus would emerge. "I am quite certain that when everyone has a chance to think about the importance of sending Iran a very strong message -- that it is time for Iran to heed the call," she said in Jakarta.
The Security Council's five permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - met again in New York to seek a compromise on the British-French draft statement.
Several previous sessions among the five have failed to remove Russian and Chinese misgivings about action by the council, which could eventually impose sanctions on Iran.
The full council was scheduled to meet later on Tuesday. "I am quite certain we will find the appropriate vehicle for stressing the international community's solidarity," Rice said. Russia and China want the IAEA, not the Security Council to keep control of the Iranian nuclear dossier.
If the split continues, the Western powers may drop the idea of a council statement, which requires unanimity. Instead they might put a resolution to a vote and force Russia and China to abstain or veto, diplomats at the United Nations said.
Any UN sanctions, likely to be months away, could start with measures such as travel bans on Iranian leaders. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he would welcome being spared political visits to the West.
"I used to believe there could be wise politicians in the West. But in the few months that I have been meeting them face to face, unfortunately I have seen the only things you would struggle to find in the West are wise politicians," he said.
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