Senior officials from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany will meet early next week to discuss sanctions against Iran, the State Department said on Wednesday.

US Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nick Burns "is going to be traveling to Europe, I believe, next week, early next week. That would probably be the first convocation of that group (of major nations) looking at specific language for a resolution," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

McCormack gave no time or city for the meeting but diplomats said it could be Berlin or Vienna.

The spokesman said the resolution must send a "substantial signal ... that the international community means what it says" by beginning to impose sanctions of increasing intensity on Iran, as promised by the major nations last June.

The UN Security Council ordered Iran in July to suspend its uranium enrichment -- a process which can produce fuel for civilian reactors or material for nuclear bombs by Aug. 31 and cooperate with inspectors or face consequences.

If Iran complied, US officials said they were prepared to join talks on Iran's nuclear program and the possibility of future cooperation. They also warned that they are determined to impose sanctions against Tehran if it fails to comply, even though Russia and other nations seem reluctant to participate.

Iran has vowed not to stop its nuclear activities, which it contends are for generating electricity.

"We've seen no indication that Iran intends to comply with the UN Security Council's condition of suspending its nuclear program," Burns told the Washington Post in an interview.

"Should it not comply by Thursday, and should the IAEA report confirm Iran's continued efforts to enrich uranium, the US will move to begin sanctions discussion at the United Nations, and we expect a sanctions resolution to be passed," Burns said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2006)