Rice warns Iran of tougher UN response on uranium enrichment

Washington, Apr 14 (UNI) United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, warned Iran to consider UN demands to halt uranium enrichment or face escalating international penalties.

Ms Rice in her most explicit comments yesterday said Iran could face a binding resolution under chapter seven of the UN charter, if it ignores the Security Council's current presidential statement to return to compliance with its international nuclear obligations.

Addressing mediapersons here after talks on Iran and other issues with Canada's new Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, Ms Rice expressed irritation over what she described as ''salami tactics'' by Iran, stepping up its nuclear activities bit-by-bit despite the Security Council's call on Tehran to desist.

She said, ''if Iran does not back down by the time the council reconvenes on April 28, it is certain the UN will consider measures such as a Chapter Seven resolution to which Tehran would have really no choice but to comply.'' However, she did not conjecture on what the Council will do but said it is clear there will be no second presidential statement.

Meanwhile, other administration officials have laid a sequence under which the US and the allies would seek a nominally-binding Chapter Seven resolution calling for Iranian cooperation, failing which, moving on to another resolution would sanction the Tehran government.

UNI XC AD MSJ RAI0959