John Sawers, Foreign Office Political Director, said:

"We had a productive first discussion of the next steps following the Director General of the IAEA's confirmation that Iran has failed to comply with SCR 1737. We began work on a new Security Council Resolution building on Resolution 1737. We also considered how best to re-engage with Iran. We are all committed to seeking a negotiated solution. This was a meeting among officials. No decisions were taken. We were encouraged by the seriousness of the discussions. These will continue, with further contacts later this week."

Speaking from Pakistan the Foreign Secretary also made the following points on the Iran nuclear issue during the course of a media interview:

"First of all I am aware that there are some people who argue that it is in some way unfair that the international community should be concerned about whether or not Iran enriches uranium. I would say two things to that. The first is that what Iran says they are seeking is access to civil nuclear power, no one disputes their right to that and indeed the six countries who have been engaged in talks - Russia, China and the United States as well as Britain, France and Germany from the European Union - have made proposals to Iran which would allow them really everything that any country who wants modern civil nuclear power could wish for."

"If all Iran wants is access to civil nuclear power why does Iran not suspend their enrichment and reprocessing which they no longer need and come into negotiations with the international community. And the steps which have so far been taken are at the recommendation of the IAEA which says that Iran is in contravention of agreements that they have made and that the proposals for sanctions were carried unanimously in the Security Council."

"So it is not correct that it is only the West who are concerned about whether or not Iran is seeking the technology which might give them access to nuclear weapons... There is widespread concern across the region and across the world. And we will continue to seek to encourage Iran back into negotiation. The steps that we have taken are reversible. There is nothing that we would like better than to be able to reverse them and no longer to have to consider continuing with sanctions but the route that Iran is treading is a very dangerous one. It is one that they have chosen. We would prefer to see them take a different and less dangerous choice."