UNITED NATIONS, March 11: Russia and China cautioned against any tough action against Iran by the UN Security Council, as the five permanent members of the council met to consider proposals to pressure Iran to resolve questions about its nuclear programme.

The five, China, Russia France , Britain and the United States, met at the US mission to the United Nations on Friday afternoon.

Russia indicated it was uncomfortable with the Security Council taking any significant action at all, fearful that Iran could spurn negotiations entirely at a time when the West fears the Islamic state is determined to have nuclear weapons.

“The Security Council should not take upon itself the leading role in determining the presence or absence of real — and not imaginary — risks of violations of the nuclear non-proliferation regime,” Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday in a television interview.

Supporting the Russian position, China’s Ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya told reporters on Friday “We believe this issue still belongs with the IAEA in Vienna” adding “we believe the purpose of moving this issue to New York is to reinforce the IAEA role and not for the Security Council to take it over from the IAEA”.

Britain, France and the United States are seeking a tough statement aimed at pressuring Iran. On Thursday, Britain and France circulated a list of proposals for the statement which included a demand that Iran halt construction on its heavy-water reactor and that Iran halt all uranium enrichment, which can be used to make nuclear arms.