The UN's nuclear chief said Friday that Iran's pledge not to build a nuclear weapon would need "very strong" verification, as the United States and the Islamic republic negotiate a permanent settlement to end their war.Iran's nuclear programme is a key sticking point in talks to end the Middle East war, which began in late February with a massive US-Israeli campaign of strikes.Iran and the US last week signed a preliminary deal to end the conflict, embarking on negotiations expected to address a host of disputes including the nuclear programme.

Iran said Tuesday that the UN's nuclear watchdog will not be able to inspect key nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel last year, as the first round of talks to end the Middle…

By Francois MurphyVIENNA, June 24 (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog will carry out inspections in Iran soon following an interim peace accord between the United States and…