Six powers to meet on Iran next week-diplomat

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Senior diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, the United States, China and Russia will meet in Washington on Monday to discuss next steps regarding Iran's nuclear program, a Western diplomat said.

The diplomat spoke on Friday after the release of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's new report on Iran's atomic program. On Thursday, France and Britain formally submitted a third sanctions resolution against Iran to the U.N. Security Council, on which they hope for a vote next week.

The United States, which supports the text drafted by Britain, France and Germany, had hoped the resolution would be passed weeks ago. But council members South Africa, Indonesia and Libya insisted they delay a vote until after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its report.

The draft resolution, obtained by Reuters, calls among other things for asset freezes and mandatory travel bans for specific Iranian officials.

It also expands the list of Iranian officials and companies targeted by the sanctions and repeats the council's demand that Iran halt its nuclear enrichment program, which the West fears Tehran could use to produce atomic weapons.

The IAEA report confirmed that Iran has forged ahead with its enrichment program, which Tehran says is part of a peaceful atomic program that it will only use to generate electricity.

(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau, editing by Patricia Zengerle)