Italian foreign minister says Iran-US talks constructive but gaps remain

"It seems to me that all parties believe it was a constructive meeting, which has not yet led to a conclusion," Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters after the fifth round of Iran-US talks in Rome.

Evidently, he added, there are still elements on which the parties have not agreed.

"An agreement would be essential to arrive at a less tense situation throughout the Middle East: we continue to work patiently in this direction, trying to talk to everyone because a nuclear escalation is not in anyone's interest," Tajani told reporters in Mexico City.

Tajani said he had told his counterpart today that "we are working to reach an agreement, but everyone must make an effort, starting with Tehran, in light of the problem related to the atomic weapon: he has always told me that they do not want to build it, but there must be a guarantee not only for today but also for the future".