A group of six world powers is due to hold fresh talks with Iran about its controversial nuclear programme.

世界六大强国将要就核计划问题与伊朗举行会谈。

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Iran is enriching uranium in its heavily fortified underground plant at Fordo, near Qom
The talks are being held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, at Iran's request.

They come a day after the UN's nuclear watchdog held talks with Iran to try to gain better access to the regime's nuclear installations.

Tehran insists its uranium enrichment programme is for peaceful purposes, but the West fears Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany will try to persuade Iranian officials to scale back their nuclear programme.

Security is tight, with about 15,000 Iraqi police and troops protecting the venue²（地点） inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Previous talks in Istanbul in mid-April managed to find enough common ground to arrange a further meeting in Baghdad.

Correspondents say Wednesday's talks will put these renewed efforts to the test.

A senior Western official quoted by Reuters said that the six - led by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton - would make Iran "a detailed³ proposal that will include confidence-building measures".

However, no details were given on what those measures might be.

Analysts⁴ say the main goal of the six powers will probably be an Iranian agreement to shut down the higher-grade uranium enrichment programme that it launched in 2010.

Sanctions

Iran has since expanded the enrichment process at an underground plant at Fordo, outside the northern city of Qom.

On Tuesday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano said an agreement with Iran over nuclear inspections⁵ was expected "quite soon" following his recent talks in Tehran.

He said the deal could increase Tehran's co-operation with IAEA investigations⁶ into its atomic activity.

The IAEA wants its inspectors⁷ to have greater access to Iranian sites, nuclear scientists and documents.

The EU, the US and the UN have all imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.