MOSCOW (Agencies) -- Understandings reached by the European Union Troika, Russia, the United States and China rule out the use of force against Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta published on Monday, Interfax reported.

Lavrov was asked whether any of the six countries at the Vienna meeting of foreign ministers had spoken of the possibility of using force against Iran, to which he answered: "Nobody did. Moreover, I can say that the understandings reached by the six nations rule out the use of force in any case."

Iran N-crisis needs diplomatic solution: Vatican

The Vatican said Saturday that the crisis over Iran's nuclear program must be resolved "by diplomacy" and that every effort should be made to reach a negotiated solution, said AFP.

"The current difficulties can and must be resolved by diplomacy, using all means that diplomats have at their disposal," said Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls.

The administration of the Roman Catholic Church also stressed the need for "open and constructive dialogue", which called for good will and being considerate "of the honor and sensitivity of each country", Navarro-Valls said.

"In that way, we will be able to reach an agreement," he said.

Carter warns against Iran conditions

The former American president, Jimmy Carter, has said that the United States should begin talks with Iran without preconditions, BBC reported.

Mr. Carter believes prerequisites could present the Iranian government with too great an impediment to overcome.

His comments are significant, given that he was the president when U.S. relations with Iran hit an all-time low.

He witnessed the Iranian revolution and the seizure of the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979.

But Mr. Carter thinks attempts to improve relations should have started long ago.

And he believes that this administration's offer to sit down and talk on conditions that Iran gives up its uranium enrichment program may not be enough.

U.S. President George W. Bush has told Australian Prime Minister John Howard that America wants a diplomatic solution to Iran, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

A spokesman for Mr. Howard said the prime minister spoke to Mr. Bush on Friday night on a number of issues including Iran's plans for a uranium enrichment program.

"The president highlighted the importance of the agreement struck by the P5 and Germany to push ahead on a solution to the Iran issue," he said.