A Russian diplomat says major world powers remain divided over new sanctions against Iran after a meeting on the nation's nuclear program.
     
The Interfax news agency quoted Sergei Ryabkov, a deputy foreign minister who attended the talks, as saying Friday that envoys from the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany reached no agreement on sanctions at Thursday's meeting in Paris.
     
Ryabkov says Russia and China remain opposed to new punitive measures against Iran.
     
Iran already is under three sets of Security Council sanctions, but efforts to pass a fourth have been stymied. Russia argues that sanctions are counterproductive.
     
The U.S. claims Iran is seeking nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program.

AP