Monday, March 27 2006 09:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Warning that it could not afford to waste time on Iran, the United States has said that Tehran have 'no choice' but to give up its nuclear ambitions if it wishes to be a part of international community.

"We are doing everything we can to send a strong signal to the Iranians that they have no choice. If they wish to be a part of the international community, they have no choice but to give up ambitions that could lead to the technology that would lead to a nuclear weapon," US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice told 'Meet the Press' in NBC channel.

"If the international community stays really solid here, Iran cannot stand the kind of isolation from the international community that,for instance North Korea endures almost by choice", she added.

"There is a chance to resolve the crisis diplomatically, but we can't afford to waste time," she said.

Rice said that the stage has not been set for seeking sanctions against Iran at this point of time and the focus is on the Presidential Statement from the UN Security Council.

"We are not yet at that stage of seeking sanctions. What we are doing now is seeking a Presidential Statement that would make clear to Iran the international community's determination that it live up to obligations that everyone thinks Iran has. We are working through it," she said.

On Russia, Rice said that both Washington and Moscow hold similar view about the problem. "The Russians do not want a nuclear weapon in Iran either," Rice said.