US and European allies have welcomed what they
called a "significant shift" in Iran's attitude to its
nuclear programme, after high-level UN talks.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said after meeting
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif he was
struck by the "very different tone".
But Mr Kerry said Iran still had questions to answer.
Substantive talks with Iran on its nuclear programme
are due to take place in Geneva from 15 October.
They will involve the five permanent members of the
UN Security Council - the US, Russia, Britain, France
and China - along with Germany, known as the P5+1.
The US-Iran meeting in New York represented the
highest-level direct contact between the countries in six
years. Diplomats from the P5+1 were also present.
Mr Kerry said he was pleased that Mr Zarif "put
possibilities on the table", but said a lot of work
remained to be done and that Iran would have to
answer questions about its nuclear programme.
"One meeting and a change in tone, which was
welcome, doesn't answer those questions yet," he said.
'Nothing but peaceful'
Mr Zarif called the talks "constructive" and said the
diplomats had made progress on resolving international
issues in a manner that respected the rights of the
Iranian people.
"I am satisfied with this first step," he said. "Now we
have to see whether we can match our positive words
with serious deeds so we can move forward."
Mr Zarif insisted Iran's nuclear programme was
"nothing but peaceful" and pledged to prove it to the
international community.
The Iranian foreign minister called sanctions against
Iran "counterproductive" and added he hoped all
bilateral, unilateral and multilateral sanctions would be
lifted in the near future.
Likewise, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said
afterwards the tone and spirit of the meeting were
"extremely good".
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton
said there was an agreement to "go forward with an
ambitious timeframe".
New Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said he
wants to reach a deal on the nuclear dispute in three to
six months.
But the Americans have said there will be no major
concessions on sanctions until the Iranians take
concrete steps to reassure the world they are not
seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran reaches out
Earlier, President Rouhani told the UN General
Assembly that no country should possess nuclear arms.
Iran has been negotiating over the nuclear issue since
2006 with the P5+1.
Since Mr Rouhani's election in June, Iranian officials
have reached out to the West, saying they want to
address concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.
On Tuesday, Mr Rouhani told the General Assembly
that he was prepared to engage in "time-bound and
results-oriented" talks.
On Thursday, he called for stricter controls on nuclear
weapons as part of a global effort to eventually rid the
world of them.
"No nation should possess nuclear weapons, since
there are no right hands for these wrong weapons," he
said, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement
at the General Assembly.
'Moderate course'
The P5+1 have asked Iran to halt production and
stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20% - a step away
from achieving a nuclear weapons capability.
They also demanded Iran shut down the Fordo
underground enrichment facility.
In return, they offered to ease the sanctions that have
severely affected Iran's economy.
US President Barack Obama has welcomed the new
Iranian president's more "moderate course".
He told the UN on Tuesday that the US wanted to
resolve the nuclear issue peacefully, but was
determined to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear
weapon.
Mr Rouhani has said he is fully empowered by Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to negotiate on
the issue.
The BBC's Bridget Kendall, who is at the UN, says
President Rouhani has signalled a sharp departure from
the foreign policy and the tone of his predecessor,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose bombastic
pronouncements at the UN in the past resulted in walk-
outs.
called a "significant shift" in Iran's attitude to its
nuclear programme, after high-level UN talks.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said after meeting
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif he was
struck by the "very different tone".
But Mr Kerry said Iran still had questions to answer.
Substantive talks with Iran on its nuclear programme
are due to take place in Geneva from 15 October.
They will involve the five permanent members of the
UN Security Council - the US, Russia, Britain, France
and China - along with Germany, known as the P5+1.
The US-Iran meeting in New York represented the
highest-level direct contact between the countries in six
years. Diplomats from the P5+1 were also present.
Mr Kerry said he was pleased that Mr Zarif "put
possibilities on the table", but said a lot of work
remained to be done and that Iran would have to
answer questions about its nuclear programme.
"One meeting and a change in tone, which was
welcome, doesn't answer those questions yet," he said.
'Nothing but peaceful'
Mr Zarif called the talks "constructive" and said the
diplomats had made progress on resolving international
issues in a manner that respected the rights of the
Iranian people.
"I am satisfied with this first step," he said. "Now we
have to see whether we can match our positive words
with serious deeds so we can move forward."
Mr Zarif insisted Iran's nuclear programme was
"nothing but peaceful" and pledged to prove it to the
international community.
The Iranian foreign minister called sanctions against
Iran "counterproductive" and added he hoped all
bilateral, unilateral and multilateral sanctions would be
lifted in the near future.
Likewise, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said
afterwards the tone and spirit of the meeting were
"extremely good".
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton
said there was an agreement to "go forward with an
ambitious timeframe".
New Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said he
wants to reach a deal on the nuclear dispute in three to
six months.
But the Americans have said there will be no major
concessions on sanctions until the Iranians take
concrete steps to reassure the world they are not
seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran reaches out
Earlier, President Rouhani told the UN General
Assembly that no country should possess nuclear arms.
Iran has been negotiating over the nuclear issue since
2006 with the P5+1.
Since Mr Rouhani's election in June, Iranian officials
have reached out to the West, saying they want to
address concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.
On Tuesday, Mr Rouhani told the General Assembly
that he was prepared to engage in "time-bound and
results-oriented" talks.
On Thursday, he called for stricter controls on nuclear
weapons as part of a global effort to eventually rid the
world of them.
"No nation should possess nuclear weapons, since
there are no right hands for these wrong weapons," he
said, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement
at the General Assembly.
'Moderate course'
The P5+1 have asked Iran to halt production and
stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20% - a step away
from achieving a nuclear weapons capability.
They also demanded Iran shut down the Fordo
underground enrichment facility.
In return, they offered to ease the sanctions that have
severely affected Iran's economy.
US President Barack Obama has welcomed the new
Iranian president's more "moderate course".
He told the UN on Tuesday that the US wanted to
resolve the nuclear issue peacefully, but was
determined to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear
weapon.
Mr Rouhani has said he is fully empowered by Iran's
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to negotiate on
the issue.
The BBC's Bridget Kendall, who is at the UN, says
President Rouhani has signalled a sharp departure from
the foreign policy and the tone of his predecessor,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose bombastic
pronouncements at the UN in the past resulted in walk-
outs.
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