New York - Foreign ministers from the world's major powers met Friday in New York to discuss Iran's nuclear programme, according to German government sources.

The meeting of the United Nations Security Council's five permanent members - US, Russia, China, France, Britain - plus Germany comes after an earlier scheduled ministerial gathering to discuss sanctions had been cancelled.

France and the United States have been pushing for another round of Security Council sanctions against Iran over its ongoing nuclear programme.

Russia had pulled out of the earlier foreign ministers meeting Wednesday on the sidelines of an annual United Nations summit of world leaders. The US at the time said it agreed more time was needed. (dpa)