London, Oct 26 (UNI) Britain has endorsed the US decision to apply sanctions against Iran and vowed to take the lead in pulling together a third round of United Nations Security Council sanctions.

''We are prepared to lead the way to a third resolution of sanctions and at the same time support tougher European Union sanctions,'' Daily Mail reported a foreign office spokesperson as saying.

The US has accused Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps of being a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and a supporter of terrorism.

Washington slapped sanctions on more than 20 Iranian companies, banks and individuals as well as the defence ministry, in a bid to pressurise Tehran to halt its nuclear programme.

The US accused Iran's Qods force of arming and training militants in Iraq who in turn attacked US forces.

US has sought to take such punitive measures against another country's military for the first time and has been opposed by countries like Russia who believe in dialogue rather than military action.

The US is also pushing for a third UN Security Council sanctions resolution against Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Iran, however, says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

UNI