Nuclear talks between Iran and world powers ended on Saturday without agreement, with the European Union saying that the positions of the parties were still “far apart.” 伊朗与世界大国之间的核谈判周六无果而终，欧盟表示，各方的立场仍“相距甚远”。

The failure of two days of talks in the Kazakh city of Almaty to produce progress is likely to lead to increased international pressure on Iran and a resumption of warnings of military action by Israel. 在哈萨克斯坦城市阿拉木图(Almaty)举行的两天谈判未能取得进展，很可能导致国际社会对伊朗加大压力，导致以色列再度警告采取军事行动。

During the negotiations, Iran had countered an international proposal made in February with its own set of ideas. 谈判期间，针对国际社会在2月拿出的一个提议，伊朗方面陈述了自己的一套构想。

“There was a mismatch in terms of what Iran was willing to propose and what the [six world powers] needed to build confidence,” said a western diplomat. “一是伊朗所愿意提议的，二是（世界六大国）构建信心所需要的，两者存在脱节，”一名西方外交官表示。

In a previous round of talks the countries negotiating with Iran – the US, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China – had offered some relief on sanctions on Iranian petrochemicals and trade in gold in return for a scaling down of the nuclear programme. 在上一轮谈判中，与伊朗谈判的国家（美国、法国、英国、德国、俄罗斯和中国）提出，可在一定程度上缓解针对伊朗石化产品和黄金贸易的制裁，以换取伊朗缩减核计划。

The focus of their demands was for Iran to end the production and stockpiling of uranium enriched to 20 per cent purity, a short step from weapons grade material. 国际社会要求的焦点是，伊朗必须停止生产和囤积纯度达到20%的浓缩铀，这种纯度已相当接近接近武器级的材料。

But Iran’s position has been that the sanctions relief on offer, which does not include oil sanctions, is an insufficient concession. 但伊朗的立场是，谈判桌上的制裁缓解提议中不包括石油制裁，因而是一种不充足的让步。

Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, indicated on Saturday there were no immediate plans for another round of talks, saying that all sides would now go back to their capitals to evaluate how to move forward. 欧盟(EU)外交事务高级代表凯瑟琳•阿什顿(Catherine Ashton)周六表示，暂时没有计划举行又一轮谈判，她说，各方现在都将回到本国首都，研究下一步怎么走。

“There was a lot of back and forth, a lot of questioning of [Saeed] Jalili (the Iranian top negotiator) and direct responses, which was different to what it’s been previously,” said a western diplomat. “有很多往来，各方问了（伊朗最高谈判代表）萨伊德•贾利利(Saeed Jalili)很多问题，并得到直接答复，这与以往的场面有所不同，”一名西方外交官表示。

“The Iranians emphasised their readiness to take some small steps but their focus was on their own ideas and they didn’t go as far as what the EU3 plus 3 (the six world powers) was looking for in terms of response to the proposal.” “伊朗方面强调，他们愿意采取一些小的步骤，但他们执着于己方的构想，就欧盟3国加上另外3国（世界六大国）所期待的对提议的回应而言，伊朗方面走得不够远。”

Mr Jalili told reporters that “some distance” remained between Iran and world powers, but that “good negotiations” had taken place, according to agency reports from Almaty. He put the onus on the six world powers to now respond to Iran’s proposals, saying that building confidence was a “two-way street.” 根据发自阿拉木图的通讯社消息，贾利利对记者们表示，伊朗与世界大国之间仍有“一定距离”，但各方进行了“良好的谈判”。他要求世界六大国回应伊朗的提议，称构建信心是一条“双向街道”。

Expectations for the Almaty talks had been low, with diplomats suspecting that Iran would not make a serious move before the June presidential election, a poll in which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, is hoping to consolidate his grip on power. 各方对阿拉木图的谈判本来就期望不高，外交官们怀疑，伊朗方面在6月的总统大选之前不会做出认真举动。伊朗最高领袖阿亚图拉•阿里•哈梅内伊(Ayatollah Ali Khamenei)希望通过此次大选巩固自己对权力的掌控。

The run-up to the election has provoked a frantic power struggled between Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, the president, and politicians aligned with Mr Khamenei, amid suspicion that the outgoing president was attempting to secure the election for one of his allies. 大选即将到来之际，伊朗总统马哈茂德•艾哈迈迪-内贾德(Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad)与哈梅内伊阵营的政界人士之间展开激烈的权力角逐，人们怀疑，即将卸任的总统正企图让自己的一个亲信赢得大选。

But the lack of progress in Almaty could raise the rhetoric of war as Israel pushes for stronger international action. The US administration too will come under pressure to step up already tough sanctions against the Islamic Republic. 但是，在阿拉木图举行的谈判无果而终，可能升高战争言论的分贝。以色列将敦促国际社会采取更强有力的行动。在美国，奥巴马政府也将受到压力，要求其加强本已相当严厉的对伊朗制裁。

Analysts who keep a close watch on the nuclear dispute, however, say the window for diplomacy is not closing yet. 然而，密切关注伊朗核计划争端的分析人士表示，外交活动的窗口仍未关闭。

In an apparent effort to buy more time, Iran has slowed down the conversion of some of the 20 per cent enriched uranium stockpile to nuclear reactor fuel, leaving it below the amount that would allow a dash to produce bomb-grade material. 伊朗已做出显然意在争取时间的举动，即放缓将一部分20%浓缩铀库存转化成核反应堆燃料的工作，将此类燃料的数量保持在低于可快速生产核弹级材料的水平。

Israel’s concerns might also have been allayed by the greater resolve that the US has shown. Washington says no options are off the table and that a nuclear-armed Iran would not be tolerated. 同时，以色列的担忧也因为美国展示出更大的决心而有所缓解。华盛顿方面表示，不排除任何选择，不会容忍伊朗拥有核武。

“The probable failure of this round does not mean that strikes are imminent or that diplomacy later this year has no chance. Israel is not on the verge of taking action,” said Cliff Kupchan, director for the Middle East at Eurasia Group. “这一轮谈判很可能出现的失败，并不意味着军事打击迫在眉睫，或者今年晚些时候没有机会开展外交活动。以色列并没有站在采取行动的边缘，”咨询公司欧亚集团(Eurasia Group)的中东主任克利夫•库普钱(Cliff Kupchan)表示。