The United States will ask for UN sanctions on Iran if it does not meet
the deadline of halting uranium enrichment by the end of this month, a senior US
official said yesterday.
"In the event Iran does not give an answer to the Security Council and does not comply with the conditions clearly enunciated by
the Security Council, I think we'll want to move very quickly in the first part
of September towards a debate in Security Council about sanctions, and they will
be well deserved, because this has gone on a long time," US Undersecretary of
State Nicholas Burns said.
U.N. resolution 1696 demanded Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment by the
end of this month. However, Iran has rejected the U.N. resolution.
The United States has been accusing Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons
under the cover of civilian nuclear programs. Iran has insisted that its nuclear
programs are for peaceful purposes only.