Macron says he hopes there can be progress on Iran in coming hours at U.N.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that he hoped there could be progress on Iran in the coming hours after he held direct and frank talks with President Hassan Rouhani on Monday evening to try to find common ground.

"We have to get back around the table to have a frank and demanding discussion on the nuclear activity, Iran's regional activities, the ballistic missile programme, but also to have a larger approach on what sanctions are," Macron told reporters, without elaborating. "I hope we will be able to make progress in the coming hours."

(Reporting by John Irish; editing by Grant McCool)