The US has failed to win Moscow's support for fresh sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, with Russia's foreign minister saying that further sanctions would be "counter-productive".

Sergei Lavrov said after his meeting with Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, that recent talks in Geneva between Tehran and the so-called P5-plus-1 group - Russia, China, Britain, France, the US and Germany - had raised hopes of a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear programme.

"All forces should be aimed at supporting talks" with Iran, he said on Tuesday, adding: "Threats of sanctions and threats of pressure in the current situation are, in our opinion, counter-productive."