Iran, World Powers End First Session after Less than 10 Minutes, Zarif to Meet Ashton Thursday

Iran and world powers finished their first session of crunch talks on Wednesday after only five to 10 minutes, diplomats said.

"This was just a brief introductory session," one diplomat in Geneva said on condition of anonymity. "There will now be bilateral meetings."

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he will hold "serious and detailed" negotiations on a nuclear deal with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Thursday.

"So far, we have progressed based on our plans and we agreed to start serious and detailed negotiations about the agreement with Lady Ashton tomorrow," Zarif wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday after having lunch with Ashton.

The EU top diplomat represents the six major powers in talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear program that resumed on Wednesday amid growing hopes of a landmark accord.

"Tomorrow morning .. I will have a meeting with Lady Ashton, which is the beginning of negotiations to examine how to finalize the draft," the ISNA news agency quoted Zarif as saying.

"We should find a way to carry out this task together and based on mutual respect."

The last round of talks with Iran that ended on November 10 came tantalizingly close to a framework agreement, but failed to deliver in the face of what Iran said were last-ditch French misgivings.

The P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany wants Iran to suspend certain parts of its nuclear program for a period of several months in a "first phase" towards a comprehensive deal.