The European Union (EU) on Saturday turned down Iran's proposal of putting a two-year moratorium on its industrial-scale nuclear fuel enrichment while continuing its nuclear research.

The EU side said the proposal would not allay concerns that Tehran is carrying out secret research on nuclear weapons.

One diplomat who attended the meeting said the bloc had demanded a moratorium of up to 10 years, but Iran rejected it.

The EU dismissal came after the Vienna talks between Iranian representatives and diplomats from Germany, Britain and France over the Iranian nuclear program failed to yield concrete results on Friday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors is to convene on Monday with the Iranian nuclear issue top on its agenda.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Saturday that there is no urgent need to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Also on Saturday, the Washington Post reported that the United States, preparing to take Iran's case to the UN Security Council next week, is seeking a 30-day deadline for Tehran to halt its nuclear program and cooperate with international inspectors.

Source: Xinhua