Iran and world powers Saturday battled to break the deadlock in the crisis over Tehran's nuclear drive, extending talks into the evening after a day of exhausting diplomacy. Officials from both sides were tight-lipped over whether any progress had been made in the talks in Kazakhstan but discussions continued longer than expected. So far the discussions have failed to resolve the main issue of whether Iran will accept limits on its nuclear programme in return for some relief on the sanctions that have hurt the Islamic republic's economy in the past two years.

Iran and world powers Saturday meet for a second and final day of a new round of talks aimed at breaking a decade-old deadlock over the Islamic state's disputed nuclear programme, with time slowly running out on a solution. The two sides held a tense day of negotiation in the Kazakh city of Almaty on Friday that ended with only an agreement to meet again.

Iran and world powers met Friday for new talks in search of a breakthrough in the Iranian nuclear crisis, with the West complaining Tehran failed to give any clear response to a proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock. The powers are seeking answers at the talks in Kazakhstan about a nuclear programme that Iran insists is peaceful but world powers fear may hide some military dimensions.

Iran heads into nuclear talks with world powers this week in an apparently uncompromising mood, demanding Thursday the immediate recognition of its right to enrich uranium and downplaying the chances of direct talks with the United States. The six nations negotiating with Iran have expressed cautious optimism as each side settled in for two days of meetings opening Friday in the Kazakh city of Almaty -- the fifth such round of negotiations on Iran's nuclear drive in two years.