New York: A draft resolution approved by Germany, France and Britain has called for targeted sanctions against Iran's nuclear programme, a travel ban and a freeze of assets that are related to nuclear proliferation.

The draft was given to the UN Security Council Monday months after the Tehran government rejected a deadline to end its controversial uranium enrichment and abandon its nuclear activities, which the US and Western governments suspect of ultimately producing nuclear weapons.

The 15-nation council is likely to discuss the eight-page text later this week.

The sanctions demanded by the three European nations are similar to those the council unanimously imposed on North Korea in October after it fired a nuclear device in defiance of international objections.

China and Russia, which both have heavy energy interests in Iran, have balked at backing a resolution. In a previous draft resolution, a bid was made for Russia's backing by promising an exemption for the Bushehr nuclear power plant being built by Russia and the fuel that Moscow was to supply.

But the current draft makes no mention of Bushehr. European diplomats said they hoped the resolution could be agreed upon before Christmas.

"The UN draft would ask all states to prevent the supply, sale or transfer, directly or indirectly from their territories (to Iran) of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems," he said.

All states would be asked not to provide to Iran technical assistance or training, financial assistance, investment, or transfer of financial resources or services related to the supply, sale, transfer of nuclear-related technology.

Iranians directly associated with the nation's nuclear programmes would be banned to travel abroad. A committee of the council, to be set up later, would name those individuals.

The draft also calls on all states to immediately freeze assets, financial assets and economic resources owned or controlled by Iranians who are directly associated with or providing support for Iran's proliferation sensitive activities and the development of nuclear weapon delivery system.

All states would be called upon to exercise 'vigilance' and prevent specialised teaching or training of Iranian nationals in their territories, which could contribute to Iran's nuclear proliferation.

The draft warns Iran that "further appropriate measures" under the UN Charter would be used if that country fails "without further delay to suspend proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities", which it says include enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

It says those activities include work on all heavy water related projects and construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water. Heavy water reactors are used to produce plutonium.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is to verify the compliance and report to the council.