Two sets of UN Security Council sanctions are currently in place against Tehran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, which can be used in both electricity generation and weapons production. A further round of more stringent sanctions has so far been blocked by China and Russia.
U.K., France, Russia, the U.S. China and Germany have led negotiations to solve the long-running crisis around Iran's nuclear program.
Russian and Chinese opposition to new sanctions was further strengthened after the release of the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran early last month, which said Iran stopped working on a secret nuclear weapons program as far back as 2003.
However, U.S. President George W. Bush said last week during his visit to the Middle East that until Tehran halts uranium enrichment, the Islamic Republic remains a "threat to world peace."
Iran insists that it needs nuclear energy for electricity generation and not for weapons production and has pledged to clear up all remaining questions over its nuclear program by late February.
