Steinmeier said the European Union had to accept “that we will not get to the negotiating table” after foreign policy chief Javier Solana said last week that talks with Iran had broken down.
“This means that there is no argument against letting the Security Council deal with the matter,” he told reporters.
Steinmeier added however that the international community’s offer to Iran for talks to resolve the row over its suspect nuclear activities was “still on the table”.
The Islamic Republic’s refusal to suspend uranium enrichment is adding to fears that it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Solana’s admission that talks with Tehran had ground to a halt has sparked discussions about imposing sanctions against Iran in the United Nations Security Council, a move strongly advocated by Washington.
On Friday, a European diplomat said in Luxembourg that EU foreign ministers are to formally end negotiations with Tehran next week because of a “lack of results” in the negotiation process.
But other diplomatic sources said the bloc would opt for a softer stance and leave the door open to further talks.
