The UN no longer has any reason to wait to consider new sanctions on Iran if it does not respond to concerns over its nuclear programme, France says.

If Iran continued to ignore demands, “we must draw all of the necessary conclusions,” and move to sanctions, French Ambassador Gerard Araud said.

Iran is already subject to UN sanctions over its nuclear programme, which the West suspects is for military purposes.

It recently rejected a six-nation plan to regulate Iran’s uranium enrichment.

Iran has insisted its programme is for purely peace purposes and has warned that further sanctions will be ineffective.

Russia, China, the US, UK, France and Germany suggested uranium enrichment for civilian nuclear energy could be regulated if Iran handed over its uranium to Russia to manage the process.

But Iran rejected the deal, saying it would only agree to a simultaneous swap of fuel within its own borders.