WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The White House said on Tuesday that world powers are united in their effort to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran in spite of signs of a split.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the United States and its key allies were united in Geneva at a round of talks that ended on Saturday and that "we remain united." The Geneva talks broke up without a deal. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said afterward that France would not accept a "fool's game," an indication that Paris opposed the deal that was being negotiated.

Mr Carney said the United States is still working toward a deal. More talks are scheduled for later this month. He said any deal that is reached would be one that "absolutely meets our standards" that would be a verifiable way to ensure Iran is not developing a nuclear weapon.

"We need to pursue this. We need to see if Iran is serious," he said.