Kerry, Zarif work to close gaps

Washington and Tehran's top diplomats sat down again yesterday for talks on Iran's nuclear programme as they struggled to narrow gaps ahead of a key deadline.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif were meeting at a luxury Geneva hotel for a third session in talks that began Sunday.

The talks are the latest in a string of meetings between the two men in a bid to forge a long-elusive nuclear deal.

World powers are trying to strike an accord with Iran that would prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb in return for an easing of punishing international economic sanctions.

Iran denies its nuclear programme has any military objectives.

Tortuous negotiations over the controversy have poisoned relations between Iran and the West for years. However, there is now a heightened sense of urgency as the clock ticks down towards a March 31 deadline to agree on a political framework for the deal.

A senior State Department official said "a full schedule of meetings" was planned Monday with the participation of all the main negotiators and experts, touching on "virtually every topic".

"These meetings are steps in a long and tough process," the official said.