IRAN accused the US yesterday of shifting the goalposts even as talks over Tehran’s nuclear energy programme neared agreement.

The current round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers in Vienna ended its second week yesterday, having missed a target for agreement of Thursday.

Western members of the group of permanent UN security council members — and first nuclear powers — the US, Britain, France, Russia and China, as well as Germany, want assurances that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons in return for lifting sanctions.