Berlin, Sept 9 (ZEENEWS.COM) Six world powers discussed in Berlin "The next steps in the (UN) Security Council", a senior European diplomat said in a clear allusion to possible sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

"We had a first discussion of the next steps in the Security Council, following the lines of (Security Council) resolution 1696," which calls for possible sanctions if Iran defied, as it has, a call to suspend uranium enrichment, said the diplomat who attended the meeting.

The diplomat, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the Berlin talks was "actually quite a productive meeting. There was common analysis on where we were."

Washington leads international concerns that Iran is covertly trying to develop nuclear weapons, something Tehran denies, and the US is also spearheading the push for sanctions.

US President George W Bush, invoking the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, said on Thursday that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

"The world is uniting to send a clear message to the regime in Tehran: Iran must end its support of terror, it must stop defying its international obligations and it must not obtain a nuclear weapon," Bush said in a speech in Atlanta.

But Russia and China, both major trading partners with Iran, are reluctant to support sanctions, fearing they will worsen the current confrontation or even lead to war.