Iran nuclear talks to resume but 'breakthrough unlikely'

Iranian students form a human chain during a protest to defend their country's nuclear facilities

Talks between Iran and the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China on Iran's disputed nuclear programme are due to resume in New York.

But officials say that a breakthrough in the negotiations is unlikely.
US and Iranian diplomats have met ahead of the talks and Iran's foreign minister and the EU foreign policy chief will meet on Thursday.
World powers suspect Iran is seeking a weapon but it insists that it is enriching uranium for peaceful reasons.
It says the enriched uranium will be used in nuclear power stations and for medical purposes.

Iran says it needs the enrichment capacity to produce fuel for nuclear power plants

Iran's economy has been hit hard by sanctions targeting its key energy sector

Last month Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticised a new move by the US to impose sanctions on 25 Iranian firms and individuals.
'Far apart' Diplomats from the six countries will begin informal discussions on Thursday before they gather with the Iranian delegation on Friday.
The negotiations - on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly - are expected to last until at least 26 September.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is not expected to meet his US counterpart in New York

Iran is building is A 40 megawatt thermal heavy water reactor near Arak

The US says that "more movement" is required from Iran if a long-term agreement is to be secured.
Senior US negotiator Wendy Sherman said that "we remain far apart on other core issues, including the size and scope of Iran's uranium enrichment capacity".
One diplomat told Reuters: "Things remain blocked. New York will be vital to see if we can break the impasse."
Correspondents say that expectations that President Barack Obama and President Rouhani will exchange even a handshake - let alone meet one another over the next few days - are not high.
That is a far cry from a year ago when the two leaders came close to ending the decades-long moratorium on face-to-face meetings.
Meanwhile Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz urged the EU - which has worked as an interlocutor for the six powers - not to make a "bad deal" with Iran.
He said that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton may be in a rush to complete a deal before she steps down at the end of this year.
"We are deeply concerned... We feel the negotiations are going in the wrong direction," he said.
The last round of talks aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for ending sanctions began in February, but Iran and the six countries involved failed to reach a deal by the 20 July deadline.
Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States make up the P5+1.
Iran and the P5+1 have agreed to extend negotiations until 24 November.