PARIS  - France said on Wednesday world powers must agree quickly on sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme or put the credibility of the United Nations at risk.

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Senior officials from the six countries -- France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China and the United States -- were unable to agree a draft U.N. resolution at a meeting on Tuesday and France said several key differences remain between the West and Russia.

"Are we in a hurry or not?" French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said at a news conference. "Yes, because I believe, as someone said earlier, that the credibility of the United Nations Security Council is at stake."

Iran denies Western charges that its nuclear programme is a cover for an atomic weapons programme but was ordered by the Security Council to freeze enrichment for failing to convince the world that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.

"My opinion is that we will find a common solution to be united within the framework of a Security Council resolution," he added.

A European diplomat said on Tuesday that France, Britain and Germany, who drafted the original sanctions proposal, told Russia they wanted a resolution to be passed by the end of the year so as to preserve the U.N. body's credibility.

Douste-Blazy did not, however, say when he expected agreement to be reached. He also said before Tuesday's meeting that he thought all sides were ready to reach a deal.

A diplomat from the 'EU3' said much work remained.

"The gap between the Russian and U.S. positions is still huge," an EU3 diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The goal had been to have a resolution before Christmas, but it now appeared that would not be the case, he said.

After forcing the Europeans to water down their sanctions plans over the past weeks and spurning tough measures against Iran, the Russians indicated a compromise might be possible, prompting Tuesday's hastily arranged talks.

TELEPHONE TALKS

The Russians agreed to export bans on more technology and materials that could be used in Iran's nuclear or ballistic-missile programmes but little progress had been made on financial sanctions against people and organisations linked to sensitive work, or on visa bans, the European diplomat said.

The sanctions would be a first phase of punishment against Iran for its failure to comply with an August 31 U.N. deadline to suspend uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants or for bombs.

France, Britain and Germany decided at the meeting that the time had come to move their negotiations back to the United Nations in New York in a last push to broker a deal.

As a first step, foreign ministers would hold discussions, probably by telephone, Douste-Blazy said on Wednesday.

"We will certainly have at least a telephone meeting," he said, adding that they would speak "very soon".

EU diplomats say the sanctions called for in the text will be largely symbolic but that unanimous approval of even mild sanctions will send a strong signal to Tehran that the world is determined to stop Iran obtaining nuclear arms.