"The new text has a number of changes which go quite a long way to meet Russian concerns," German Ambassador Thomas Matussek told reporters after a closed meeting with his counterparts from the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

According to a UN diplomat, who said on condition of anonymity, Europeans briefed their partners their last text of the draft resolution, which offered some compromises, including easing a proposed travel ban on Iranian officials, in an effort to get Russian support.

They will circulate the new version of the text this afternoon, the diplomat said, adding that the European countries and the United States still stick to a vote by the end of this week.