As Iran and world powers prepare to resume nuclear talks, a new poll Wednesday revealed most Iranians back a deal but consider unacceptable some of the toughest demands to rein in their atomic program.

About 94 percent of Iranians said their country needed a nuclear energy program and seven in ten insisted that it was for peaceful purposes only.

While 79 percent of those surveyed said they would back a deal which even included Iranian assurances never to produce an atomic bomb, a large majority admitted demands such as dismantling half of Iran's centrifuges and limiting nuclear research would be unacceptable.

The poll carried out by the University of Tehran Center for Public Opinion Research and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland interviewed 1,037 Iranians by telephone between July 11 and 17.

"While the Iranian public is ready to accept taking some confidence building steps, there are obviously some clear limits," said Ebrahim Mohseni, a senior analyst at the University of Tehran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "is likely to face a political backlash if he goes farther than the public is ready to support," he warned.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (the P5+1) return to the negotiating table on Thursday with Iran in New York, seeking to scale back its nuclear activities to ensure it cannot make a swift dash to produce a bomb.

In return Tehran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, wants UN and Western sanctions lifted, and is pushing for the right to enrich uranium, a process which can produce material for a bomb.

The poll also revealed deep Iranian skepticism that the West will keep promises to lift the US-led sanctions on Iran, which have crippled its economy.

Three-quarters of those surveyed said they believed the US would find some other excuse to impose sanctions, fearing the United States is out to dominate Iran or block its development.

Such concerns could be fueled by legislation proposed in the US Congress which would impose even tougher sanctions if the talks fail by a November 24 deadline, the poll said.

"Iranians are divided about the likelihood of success in the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. A large majority say they would not fault Iranian officials if the talks fail," the poll said.

Israel warns EU against 'bad deal' on Iran
Jerusalem (AFP) Sept 17, 2014 –

Israel's Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz on Wednesday urged the European Union not to make a "bad deal" with Iran over its nuclear programme, ahead of crucial talks.

Steinitz suggested outgoing EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton may be in a rush to conclude a deal before she steps down at the end of this year.

He also said the fight against Islamist extremists in Iraq and Syria should not harm efforts to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

Iran and world powers are preparing for new talks starting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week in New York.

Western countries accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.

"We appreciate Catherine Ashton's efforts, but the Iranians might tend to believe that if somebody has to finish his job on this date, then somebody will have extra motivation to try to conclude a deal," he said.

"I hope this is not the case. I hope that Catherine Ashton can say, 'OK, I've tried but if the Iranians have shown no flexibility so far… maybe there is no deal,'" Steinitz said.

"We are deeply concerned… we feel the negotiation is going in the wrong direction," he added, without elaborating.

Israel has long threatened military action against Iran to stop it obtaining nuclear weapons capability, and slammed world powers including its US ally for opening up talks with Iran last year.

Steinitz urged world powers not to sideline the Iran issue as they concentrate on battling extremists from the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq and Syria, echoing remarks made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week.

"Some people think let's clean the table, let's close the Iranian file," he said.

"Israel supports the coalition against (IS) … but not at the expense of the struggle against the Iranian nuclear project," he said.