Security Council Action on Iran Urged

"We want a second resolution to be adopted unanimously by the Security Council to continue the sanctions," said Douste-Blazy.

"We want a second resolution to be adopted unanimously by the Security Council to continue the sanctions," Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as telling reporters.

"We request that Iran suspend its sensitive nuclear activities: enrichment, uranium conversion and the heavy-water activities, as well as ballistic activities," he added.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, issued earlier Thursday a report stating that Iran had not suspended nuclear enrichment.

It said Tehran was enriching uranium in a pilot plant where 328 centrifuges were installed in a massive underground site and an additional 328 were being set up.

The UN Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday, December 23, to impose sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology, in an attempt to stop uranium enrichment work.

It demands Iran end all research on uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants or for bombs, and halt all research and development on methods of producing or delivering atomic weapons.

The US and its allies accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran refutes the charge insisting that its program is for peaceful civilian use.

Further Isolation   

Rice told CNN the US does not want a conflict with Iran

Britain said it would work towards more UN Security Council measures leading to Iran's "further isolation" after Tehran failed to meet the council's demands to stop enriching uranium.

"As envisaged in Resolution 1737, we will therefore work for the adoption of further Security Council measures, which will lead to the further isolation of Iran internationally," said Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.

"We will now be consulting closely with our European, Chinese, Russian and US partners and other Security Council members on next steps. We remain determined to prevent Iran acquiring the means to develop nuclear weapons."

Beckett asserted, however, that Britain remains committed to "a negotiated solution" on the basis of proposals made last June.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the US offered Tehran a package of economic and political incentives in June if it agreed to consider a long-term freeze on enrichment.

"Iran has so far failed to take this positive path and comply with Security Council requirements," said London's top diplomat.

The United States voiced disappointment at Iran's failure to comply with UN demands.

"We have recently received the report. We are disappointed that Iran has not complied with resolution 1737," said White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

Before the release of the report, US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said world powers plan to haul Iran back before the UN Security Council in a new bid to force Tehran to halt its nuclear activities.

Iran dominated talks in Berlin between Rice, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Rice said the four had agreed over the next steps to take against Iran.

"We re-confirmed that we will use our available channels and the Security Council to achieve that goal and the goal is to get Iran back to negotiations once they suspend their enrichment activities," Rice said.

"We have the common goal to encourage Iran back to the bargaining table."

In comments to CNN television, Rice insisted that the US does not want a conflict with Iran and renewed an offer of direct talks with Iran if it halted enrichment.

Defiant

In Tehran, a top official said Iran cannot accept UN demands to halt uranium enrichment because they are contrary to its rights under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"Iran considers that a suspension of uranium would be contrary to its rights, to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to international rules," said Mohammad Saidi, deputy director of Iran's atomic energy agency.

"Given that, Tehran cannot accept Security Council Resolution 1737 demanding a suspension of uranium enrichment."

Saidi said that the IAEA report showed there had been "no hijacking of Iranian nuclear activities" toward military aims.

"This is a very clear message to the US which underlines that the Security Council's action ... is at odds with ElBaradei's report."