NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's major powers agreed on Friday to delay a vote on tougher sanctions on Iran until late November at the earliest, depending on reports by the UN nuclear watchdog and a European Union negotiator.

Foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain asked EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to hold more talks with Iran's national security chief, Ali Larijani, while the International Atomic Energy Agency tries to clear up doubts about past nuclear activities.
""We agree to finalize a text for a third UN Security Council sanctions resolution ... with the intention of bringing it to a vote ... unless the November reports of Dr. Solana and (IAEA chief) Dr. (Mohamed) ElBaradei show a positive outcome of their efforts,"" they said in a joint statement.
The outcome was a setback for the United States and France, which had sought swifter action to step up economic and political pressure on the Islamic Republic over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.
A European diplomat involved in the process called it ""a victory for unity over haste.""
Russia and China opposed an early move to tighten economic sanctions, saying Tehran should be given more time to cooperate with the IAEA to shed light on its past activities.
Despite Western criticism of ElBaradei's agreement with Iran on a work program to clear up questions on its past nuclear activities the major powers' statement welcomed the accord.
""We call upon Iran, however, to produce tangible results rapidly and effectively by clarifying all outstanding issues and concerns on Iran's nuclear program, including topics which could have a military nuclear dimension,"" the ministers said.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held separate back-to-back meetings, first of all six foreign ministers, then with just the three Europeans.
Diplomats said the purpose was to press the Europeans to take their own measures to restrict trade credits, investment and financial flows with Iran if Washington could not get Moscow and Beijing to agree to early UN action