US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is seen as the best insurance that the Bush Admn will not leave a "legacy of ashes" in Iran, as the Pentagon boss is taking "pragmatic" steps to avoid a conflagration over the issue, a leading news magazine said in New York.

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili says he had good discussions Friday with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, but Solana says he was disappointed by the talks.

The UN nuclear watchdog has approved the quality of Russian nuclear fuel due to be delivered to an Iranian nuclear power plant, a Russian nuclear fuel supplier said on Friday.

Six countries mediating in a longstanding nuclear dispute with Iran will gather in Paris on Saturday to discuss new tougher sanctions against the country, the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.

Iran's president said on Wednesday that the Middle East peace conference held in Annapolis was doomed to failure, and produced no substantial results.

Iran has produced a missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles), the country's defense minister announced on Tuesday. State media quoted Gen. Mostafa Mohammad Najjar as saying that the Ashoura missile has been produced at a factory related to the ministry.

Eleven members of a small Kurdish separatist group were detained by Iranian security forces fro cooperating with the country’s Kurdish rebels.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator says he will hold talks with the European Union foreign policy chief on November 30 over the country's atomic work, which the West fears is a cover to build an atomic bomb.

Israel favors the introduction of new economic sanctions against Iran by the UN Security Council, the Israeli ambassador to Russia said on Thursday.

After Iran answers all questions about its past atomic programs it expects the U.N. Security Council to close the file on its nuclear activities.

Iranian officials announced on Wednesday that the country's top nuclear negotiator will meet with the European Union's foreign policy chief for a new round of talks next week.

Iran’s state news agency said Tuesday that the nation was accepting an offer for continued talks with the United States on Iraqi security and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki welcomed a fourth round of discussions.