Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, was back in Tehran at the weekend, pressing Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment programme. His visit – at the head of a delegation from across the international community – appears to have gone a little better than expected.

For the past two years Iran has refused to abandon uranium enrichment, a programme that the leading powers suspect is a push to develop nuclear weapons capacity. In talks with Mr Solana on Saturday, Iranian leaders reiterated their determination not to suspend.