Russia presents new nuclear plan to Iran

MOSCOW: Russia pressed ahead Wednesday with its drive to revive the stalled nuclear talks between Iran and Western powers after the Islamic state's president said he backed Moscow's new crisis proposals.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was due to meet his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi in Moscow to discuss the details of a "step-by-step" plan that rewards Tehran for greater transparency with a gradual easing of UN sanctions. The second round of negotiations in Moscow comes a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received Russian Security Council chief Nikolai Patrushev and pronounced his approval of the new approach.

"Iran welcomes Russia's step-by-step proposal and is ready to make suggestions to cooperate," Ahmadinejad said in comments released by the president's website. But it is Iran's all-powerful supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has the final say on the country's major political decisions -- especially on foreign policy and the nuclear issue.

Lavrov presented Russia's new plan during a July meeting in Washington with US President Barack Obama. Previous attempts by Russia to mediate between its traditional Middle East partner and the West have been viewed with suspicion by the US administration and Washington has thus far taken a wait-and-see approach to the latest bid.