Al-Siyassa Kuwaiti daily quoted sources in Washington as saying that the date of an Israeli and American attack on Lebanon and Iran is approaching.

Attendance at talks by US Undersecretary of State William Burns marks policy shift for U.S. This is good for the world and we wish it to succeed.

The United States says Iranian officials appear to be debating how to respond to an international offer to suspend a key part of its nuclear program.

Iran's foreign minister says there is a new atmosphere in talks centered on his country's controversial nuclear program. In remarks to reporters at the United Nations, Manouchehr Mottaki said there have been "positive and constructive" developments in talks with the six major powers, raising hopes a diplomatic solution could be on the horizon.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said sending a second aircraft carrier to thePersian Gulf could serve as a "reminder' to Iran, but he said it is not an escalation of force.

According to U.S. intelligence, Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, but the U.S. is still concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions.