Iran nuclear talks continue into second day Iraq's foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari with EU representative for foreign affairs Catherine Ashton at the Baghdad talks. Photograph: Mohammed Ameen/EPA Negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme in Baghdad have gone into a second day, amid wide differences over a compromise deal aimed at defusing tensions in the Middle East. A member of the Iranian delegation has accused negotiators from the so-called P5+1 group - the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany - of creating a "difficult atmosphere." "What we heard in Istanbul was more interesting ... We believe the reason P5+1 is not able to reach a result is America," the official told Reuters. Western officials, however, claimed the fact that a substantive discussion about Iran's nuclear activities had taken place at all was a sign of progress and, barring a walkout by the Iranian delegation, should be enough to carry the talks through another round in the next few weeks, once the delegations had consulted their capitals. A US official said there had been a "fair amount of disagreement" but also areas of common ground, adding: "I believe we have the beginning of a negotiation." At the talks in the Iraqi capital, the P5+1 group presented a set of proposals by which Iran would stop producing 20%-enriched uranium, which is technically close to weapons grade material, and ship its stockpile out of the country. Iran would also stop operations at an underground enrichment plant at Fordow. In return, Iran would receive fuel plates for its research reactor in Tehran, safety advice and equipment for the Tehran reactor and its nuclear power station in Bushehr, and would be able to buy spare parts for its civilian airliners, currently blocked by sanctions. The Iranian team, led by the country's chief negotiator, Saeed Jalili, demanded that sanctions should be eased in return for concessions over enrichment. Jalili was in particular looking for a postponement of an EU oil embargo, due to take effect on 1 July. Iran's state-run news agency, Irna, called the package Iran was offered "outdated, not comprehensive, and unbalanced." Jalili pointed to the fact that he was close to an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on a fresh round of inspections, which Iran says will demonstrate it does not have a weapons programme. While the six-nation group welcomed the news, it argued it did not have a direct bearing on the Baghdad talks, which are focused on enrichment. After a session that continued into the early hours of Thursday, Jalili held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign policy who acts as a convener for the six-nation group, before a final plenary meeting. Reports from Baghdad said the plenary meeting briefly broke up to allow consultations among the six national delegations and with Tehran. Rumours of Iranian threats to walk out of the negotiations could not be confirmed. The talks are aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the long-running crisis over Iran's nuclear aspirations, and forestalling an Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.