The five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany will hold another conference call next week to discuss possible new sanctions against Iran, Britain's U.N. envoy said on Wednesday.

Speaking after representatives of the 5+1 states spoke on the telephone, Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant added that he had been told the Chinese "have agreed to engage substantively" in discussions on a new round of punitive steps against Tehran for refusing to halt sensitive nuclear activities.

Iran says its nuclear programme aimed to generate civilian electricity but U.S.-led Western nations and Israel pushed to blocke it over concerns on any nuclear bomb plan.

Reuters