New sanctions will be imposed against Iran if the Tehran government continues to refuse negotiations that would end the dispute over its nuclear program, the United Nations Security Council permanent members and Germany said Friday.

The council’s five member countries, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are prepared to enact a third round of sanctions against Iran, in accordance with the UN Charter that allows the Security Council to punish nations whose activities are considered threats to world peace and security.

Foreign ministers of the five member countries plus Germany and representatives from the European Union met Friday in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly session and urged Tehran to comply with international requirements.

The meeting comes after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Iran’s nuclear issue is “closed and it has turned into an ordinary agency matter,” referring to the agreements reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“Today, many important questions have been raised about the nuclear activities of certain powers within the IAEA, which should be dealt with properly,” Ahmadinejad said in his address to the 192-nation assembly.

“Of course, Iran has always been and will be prepared to have constructive talks with all parties,” he added.

This last statement could be interpreted as a first step made by Ahmadinejad towards reconciliation with Western nations that have accused his government of building nuclear weapons under the umbrella of the civilian program.

The Security Council members and Germany announced that they are prepared to sit at the negotiation table with Iran and reach a “comprehensive long-term agreement” to settle the long-standing nuclear dispute issue. But the diplomats warned that they are ready to impose new sanctions if Iran doesn’t adopt a different approach of the matter.

“We seek a negotiated solution that would address the international community's concerns over Iran's nuclear programme,” a joint statement said.

“We reiterate our commitment to see the proliferation implication of Iran's nuclear program resolved, and have therefore met today to reaffirm our commitment to our dual track approach.”

According to the statement, Iran must first suspend all its uranium enrichment activities and related processes before launching negotiations with the international community. Those requirements are present in the two UN resolutions, but Iran defied them.

If Iran suspends its controversial program and the IAEA can verify the progress, sanctions against the Islamic Republic could be also suspended.

The joint statement asked Iran to reveal all undisclosed aspects of its nuclear program and fully cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog, which is expected to file a report to the Security Council on Iran’s cooperation by November.