US official to attend Iran talks

A top US official is to attend talks aimed at persuading Iran to halt its nuclear enrichment programme.

Under Secretary of State William Burns will travel to Switzerland with the EU foreign envoy Javier Solana to receive Iran's response to a UN offer.

The US said Mr Burns would not hold separate talks with Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili, and was there to listen.

A BBC correspondent says this is a first under the Bush administration and represents a significant policy shift.

Iran denies any nuclear weapons plans, but is defying UN Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment.

In the past, the Bush administration has insisted that no talks will be held with Iran until it suspends its uranium enrichment programme, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington.

Now, in a clear shift in policy, it seems a meeting is going to take place without that precondition being met, our correspondent says.

The Bush administration says Mr Burns's presence is designed to demonstrate the West's unity and to reiterate that the terms of negotiations remain the same - namely that Iran must first halt its uranium enrichment programme for further talks to take place.

How significant the move is will become clearer after the talks in Geneva on Saturday, our correspondent adds.

'One-time participation'

A state department official told the BBC that Mr Burns - the third-most senior United States diplomat - would "reiterate that our terms of negotiation remain the same - that Iran must suspend its enrichment and reprocessing".