Reuters: U.N. inspectors have discovered new traces of highly-enriched uranium on nuclear equipment in Iran, deepening suspicions Tehran may still be concealing the full extent of its atomic enrichment programme, diplomats said.

Reuters: The United States will not hold direct contacts with Iran and insists that sanctions must be part of a new carrots-and-sticks offer being drawn up by major powers to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, a senior administration official said.

Reuters: Proposals being drawn up by European states on Iran’s nuclear program must allow Iran to enrich uranium for atomic research and development purposes, a senior Iranian official said on Thursday.

Reuters: Under growing pressure from Washington, China on Thursday stuck to calls to defuse the Iran nuclear row through diplomacy and said it disapproved of using sanctions in international disputes.

CNN: Iran’s president has said he is willing to negotiate with the United States and other world powers over his country’s nuclear program, even as he stepped up his rhetoric against Israel.

Reuters: Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, on Thursday welcomed the U.N. Security Council’s holding off from imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.