"Not only has Iran not replied to the questions, but it has accelerated its enrichment program," Douste-Blazy said in an interview in the French daily Le Figaro in its Monday edition.

"The Security Council resolution should strengthen the authority of the IAEA and give obligatory force to its demand for the suspension of activities linked to enrichment, including that for research purposes. We must respond to Iran in a united, firm and rapid manner," he added.

Foreign ministers of the United Nations Security Council's five permanent member states (Britain, China, France, Russia and United States) plus Germany were to meet in New York later Monday to map out a common strategy to force Iran to halt its uranium enrichment activities.

French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a joint call for a tough UN stance Sunday, saying the Security Council must adopt "a resolution making obligatory the requests of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), notably the suspension of uranium enrichment," according to Chirac's office.

But Teheran vowed Sunday that it would refuse to comply with such a resolution.