The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, says the UN Security Council could soon approve a new round of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.

Her two-day meeting with the Russian president in Berlin began with a walk in the park – before the two leaders locked themselves away to thrash through the Iranian issue.

When they emerged, the German Chancellor said that after a lot of give-and-take, the time had come for action if nothing changed.

“It’s possible that in the near future sanctions can be approved by the UN Security Council,” she said. “We repeatedly stressed that of course we want Iran to be able to move on positively.”

World powers are at loggerheads with Iran over its uranium enrichment programme, which they believe is a cover for building a nuclear bomb.

Angela Merkel described the new consensus among leading nations on sanctions as a “major diplomatic advance”.

Washington says a vote on a fourth round of sanctions is likely next week, euronews.net reported.