Russia could support a new UN Security Council resolution on Iran if the Islamic Republic does not stop uranium enrichment, the Russian envoy to the UN has said.

“If Iran in the next few days does not stop the enrichment activities of its heavy water project then yes, Russia has taken upon itself certain commitments to support the resolution that has been drafted in the past month," Vitaly Churkin said on Wednesday.

He said the resolution would be an additional guarantee that Iran's nuclear activities are not in breach of the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Not satisfied

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Friday that Iran had become more transparent about its nuclear programme, but had failed to fully answer Western allegations that it was seeking to create nuclear weapons.

The diplomatic standoff between Iran and the West began almost six years ago over suspicions that Tehran was developing a nuclear weapons programme.

Tehran has always maintained it needs nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Since then, two rounds of sanctions have been imposed - in December 2006 and March 2007.