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NEW YORK - A much-anticipated meeting of the "Iran Six" nations at the weekend to discuss the next steps for sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program ended without any progress.

The New York meeting's failure to reach a decision has been blamed on China, which sent a low-level representative in an open gesture to oppose new sanctions on Iran. It bursts the bubble of unity among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia - who, along with Germany, constitute the "Iran Six".