Britain, France and Germany have officially called for new European Union sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.

Diplomats said, the foreign ministers of the three countries wrote to EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton last week calling for tougher measures as the showdown with Iran becomes more tense.

Details of the new measures are still being worked on but EU Foreign Ministers will discuss the move at a meeting in Brussels on October 15.

Ms. Ashton is to chair a meeting in New York on Thursday of the six nations — the EU three, plus the United States, Russia and China — who have been seeking to negotiate a solution with Iran. On Sunday, UN Chief Ban Ki-moon met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

Mr. Ban urged Iran to take the measures necessary to build international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.