SIX world powers at a United Nations nuclear meeting yesterday sought to step up diplomatic pressure on Iran to allay concerns that it is seeking atomic bombs capability and help avert a new Middle East war.
A day after Israel's prime minister ramped up threats to attack the Islamic state, the United States, France, Russia, Germany, China and Britain proposed that Iran be rebuked over its expanded uranium enrichment programme, diplomats said.
The six states - involved in a stalled diplomatic push to convince Iran to curb its nuclear programme - submitted a proposed resolution to the 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is expected to vote on it later this week.
While the move showed big power unity on the matter, it seemed unlikely to have any immediate impact on policy-makers in Tehran, which has pressed ahead with its nuclear work despite increasingly harsh economic sanctions.
Concern has been raised about Fordow, an Iranian enrichment site deep underground where an IAEA report in late August, said the Islamic state had doubled its capacity over the last three months, the diplomats said.
Iran says its wants to produce electricity and not bombs. Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants. If enriched to a high degree, it can provide the explosive core for a nuclear warhead.
Israel, believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, sees the chance of Iran developing an atomic bomb as a threat to its existence and has stepped up hints of military action.
Escalating tension with the US on how to deal with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that if world powers refused to set a red line for Tehran's nuclear programme, they could not demand that Israel hold fire.
In their proposed resolution, the six powers voiced continued "support for a peaceful resolution of the international community's concerns, which could best be achieved through a constructive" diplomatic process.
They said Iran should immediately agree a framework accord with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to clarify concerns over possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme, including granting inspectors access to the sites it needs for their inquiry.
Little progress has been made in investigating Iran.
War looms over nukes for Iran
SIX world powers at a United Nations nuclear meeting yesterday sought to step up diplomatic pressure on Iran to allay concerns that it is seeking atomic bombs capability and help avert a new Middle East war.
A day after Israel's prime minister ramped up threats to attack the Islamic state, the United States, France, Russia, Germany, China and Britain proposed that Iran be rebuked over its expanded uranium enrichment programme, diplomats said.
The six states - involved in a stalled diplomatic push to convince Iran to curb its nuclear programme - submitted a proposed resolution to the 35-nation governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is expected to vote on it later this week.
While the move showed big power unity on the matter, it seemed unlikely to have any immediate impact on policy-makers in Tehran, which has pressed ahead with its nuclear work despite increasingly harsh economic sanctions.
Concern has been raised about Fordow, an Iranian enrichment site deep underground where an IAEA report in late August, said the Islamic state had doubled its capacity over the last three months, the diplomats said.
Iran says its wants to produce electricity and not bombs. Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants. If enriched to a high degree, it can provide the explosive core for a nuclear warhead.
Israel, believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, sees the chance of Iran developing an atomic bomb as a threat to its existence and has stepped up hints of military action.
Escalating tension with the US on how to deal with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that if world powers refused to set a red line for Tehran's nuclear programme, they could not demand that Israel hold fire.
In their proposed resolution, the six powers voiced continued "support for a peaceful resolution of the international community's concerns, which could best be achieved through a constructive" diplomatic process.
They said Iran should immediately agree a framework accord with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to clarify concerns over possible military dimensions to its nuclear programme, including granting inspectors access to the sites it needs for their inquiry.
Little progress has been made in investigating Iran.
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