Key European Union foreign ministers met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations in New York Thursday in a new bid to resolve the political impasse over Iran's nuclear program. The Iranian leader is expected to announce new proposals in a U.N. General Assembly speech Saturday.

The French, German and British foreign ministers met for about a half-hour with the Iranian President in a new effort to revive the European dialogue with Iran on the nuclear issue.

But there was no sign of a breakthrough, with the ministers of the E.U.-Three saying they are awaiting Mr. Ahmadinejad's policy speech here Saturday for an indication of where the effort might be headed.

Iran backed out of a nuclear freeze agreement it reached with the Europeans last November and has resumed uranium conversion activity, prompting calls by the United States among others for the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council.