EU warns of U N action in Iran nuclear standoff

BRUSSELS, July 12 (Reuters) The European Union today joined the United States in warning Iran it faced UN Security Council action if it did not cooperate in efforts to end a stand-off over its nuclear programme.

''If Iran is not ready for cooperation, then the process will have to continue at the U N Security Council,'' Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, told the European Parliament a day after EU talks with Iran ended without progress.

Washington yesterday warned of possible U N action after Tehran told the EU it was not ready to respond to an international offer of incentives to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to produce a nuclear weapon.

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