Russia blocked agreement on a U.N. Security Council's suppressing Iran?s nuclear program. China supported Russia in that move.
German foreign affairs officials and the five veto-holding Security Council members of the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China met on Monday to discuss strategy on how to handle Iran.
Nicholas Burns, the U.N. undersecretary of state, told reporters after the meeting, ?We remain convinced that we will see a presidential statement. It may just take a couple more days.?
Both Russia and China are wary of action by the Security Council, which can impose sanctions, fearing threats might escalate and prompt Iran to cut all contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
France and Britain, authors of the draft statement, will take ?another look at that text to see if we can refine it a little bit more,? said Britain?s U.N. ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, whose mission hosted the talks.
The full 15-member council consults late on Tuesday.
