Senior Russian senators say US efforts to impose a new round of sanctions against Iran will not affect current agreements between Moscow and Tehran.

Washington on Tuesday circulated a draft resolution on a new set of sanctions against Iran at the United Nations after the Islamic Republic issued a nuclear fuel swap declaration with Turkey and Brazil.

Some diplomats suggested that the document, approved by the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the US-- would prevent Russia from delivering S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran under an existing contract.

Mikhail Margelov, the head of the Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee, said the "draft will not hit current contracts between Russia and Iran."

"We need to remember that Russia is a responsible seller of its products on foreign markets," he said in a statement quoted by the Moscow-based Interfax News Agency on Friday.

Another senator, Viktor Ozerov, warned that Russia would veto the draft resolution if it hurt its interests.

"If the text of the resolution unilaterally impinges on Russia's interests, then as a permanent Security Council member, Russia will simply veto it," said Ozerov, who chairs the Federation Council's Defense Committee.

The United States and Israel have been trying to persuade Russia to annul the contract as part of efforts to bring Iran's nuclear program to a halt.

Veto-wielding China and Russia, however, have so far refused to back sanctions and adopt a tougher stance on Tehran's nuclear program, insisting to maintain trade relations with the Islamic Republic.

A Russian official said on Tuesday that a long-delayed joint project to construct Iran's first nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr would show some progress as the plant's first reactor would be launched in August

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