Bush new sanctions if no progress on Iran

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) President George W Bush said today it was important for the international community to ''speak with one voice'' against Iran's nuclear program and warned of new sanctions if there was no progress.

''We fully recognise that the Iranians must not have a nuclear weapon,'' Bush said at a news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

''If we're unable to make progress with the Iranians, we want to work together to implement new sanctions through the United Nations, to continue to make it clear that Iran with a nuclear weapon is not in the interest of peace in the world,'' Bush said.

Iran has installed 1,600 centrifuges used for enriching uranium and is pressing ahead with more as part of its nuclear program, according to a senior Iranian official quoted by Iran's Mehr News Agency.

The UN Security Council has imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran since December, but Iran has resisted demands to halt its nuclear activity.

Western countries suspect Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies, saying its program is for civilian purposes.

REUTERS PB BD2237