Thursday, July 13 2006 12:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Paris: World powers meeting in Paris today (July 13, 2006) said they had agreed to send Iran back to the UN Security Council and raised the threat of sanctions over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

"The Iranians have given no indication at all that they are ready to engage seriously on the substance of our proposals," French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said in a declaration to the press following the talks.

"Iran has failed to take the steps needed to allow negotiations to begin," he said.

"We express profound disappointment over this situation," he said, according to an English translation of his statement, made after talks between foreign ministers of the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany.

"We have no choice but to return to the United Nations Security Council and take forward the process that was suspended two months ago," he said.

"We have agreed to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution, which would make the IAEA-required suspension mandatory," Douste-Blazy said.

"Should Iran refuse to comply then we will work for the adoption of measures under Article 41 of Chapter Seven of the United Nations charter," which opens the way for economic and diplomatic sanctions, but not for the use of military force.

"Should Iran implement the decisions of the IAEA and the United Nations Security Council, and enter into negotiations, we would be ready to hold back from further action in the UN Security Council," he said.

"We urge Iran once again to respond positively to the substantive proposals we made last month," the statement said.