Consultations among six major nations on the new Security Council draft resolution against Iran seemed making "substantial progress," UN diplomats said on Monday.

Ambassadors from the six nations -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, met again on Monday afternoon at the UN Headquarters in New York on the disputed elements of the draft resolution imposing sanctions on Iran against its unyielding nuclear program.

French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere told reporters after the two-hour meeting that "this is the best meeting we have had since the beginning of these negotiations ... and we have many progress."

Meanwhile, he stressed that the door for a diplomatic solution on the Iranian nuclear issue is always open, encouraging Iran to come back to negotiations.

British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry also claimed that the six have made substantial progress, and will now send the outcome of the discussion back to capitals and wait for instructions overnight.

"We will meet again tomorrow morning to see how we take it forward," he said, adding that the six may inform other Council members on the progress they have made.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin also admitted that the "fundamentals have been worked out in all the areas." However, he emphasized that "the devil is in the details so when we look at the specifics there may still be some problems to work out."

Talks on the draft resolution have been going on for two weeks in New York. The six are considering new punitive measures against Iran, including an expanded travel ban on officials involved in the nuclear program, an arms embargo, and tightened economic and financial sanctions.

Some diplomats on conditions of anonymity said that the elements initiated by the United States and Britain have been significantly watered down.

The mandatory travel ban has been dropped and instead restraint was added. Embargo on arms exports was agreed upon while arms imports would be permitted under necessary vigilance.

On Feb. 22, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report filed in Vienna to its 35-nation board of governors and the UN Security Council that "Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities."

The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Dec. 23, 2006, asking Iran to suspend uranium enrichment in 60 days. However, Iran has failed to do so and claimed its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.

Washington has accused Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program, a charge that Iran denies.

read full blog