BERLIN, Sept 7: Iran has failed to meet a UN Security Council demand that it suspend uranium enrichment, six world powers concluded on Thursday — a decision which could pave the way to sanctions.

“There was a common analysis on where we were. The (IAEA) report made clear that Iran has not met the requirements of the Security Council and the IAEA,” said a diplomat.

“We had a first discussion of next steps in the Security Council following the lines of resolution 1696,” he said.

The diplomat, who participated in a meeting of senior officials from Germany, France, Britain, the US, Russia and China in Berlin, declined to give details about what these ‘next steps’ would be. He noted that further consultations between the powers would continue next week.

The diplomat said all countries had expressed the hope that Iran would change its behaviour and suspend enrichment in order to begin negotiations on a package of incentives the six powers offered to Iran in June.

“The door remains open to Iran,” he said.

Asked whether there was agreement between the six that it was now time to impose sanctions on Iran, he referred repeatedly to resolution 1696, a motion passed on July 31 which raised the possibility that Tehran could face UN sanctions.

“There’s a commitment to the implementation of resolution 1696,” he said, adding that the six countries were unanimous on this point.—Reuters