Iran, European countries hold nuclear talks in Vienna

VIENNA, Sept 11 (AFP): Officials from Iran and Britain, France and Germany were due Thursday to hold nuclear talks in Vienna towards reaching a potentially historic accord by November.

The three European countries form part of a six-nation group including the United States, Russia and China due to resume negotiations with Iran in New York on September 18.

The closed-door discussions in the Austrian capital, announced by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton's office, follow bilateral US-Iranian discussions in Geneva last week.

A US State Department spokeswoman told reporters Tuesday that those talks in Switzerland were an "in-depth exchange on the core issues", without giving further details.