Kerry plays down expectations of Iran talks

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday played down expectations of a deal with Iran as the Islamic republic is set to resume nuclear talks with the world powers this week.

The top American envoy said he has no "specific expectations" when U.S. and Russian officials are upbeat about a breakthrough in the fresh round of talks starting Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland, between Iran and the so-called P5+1 group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany.

"I have no specific expectations with respect to the negotiations in Geneva except that we will negotiate in good faith, " Kerry told reporters after meeting with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu at the State Department. "And we will try to get a first-step agreement and hope that Iran will understand the importance of coming there prepared to create a document that can prove to the world that this is a peaceful program."

The P5+1 is seeking Iran's limiting of its nuclear activities in exchange for eased sanctions in the first step to a comprehensive deal, an idea criticized by Israel and U.S. lawmakers as giving too much for too little.

Iran and the six powers failed to produce a deal after intensive talks in Geneva on Nov. 7-9.

Following a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin believed that there is a "real chance" to tackle the Iranian nuclear issue.