France Wants Security Council Meeting Over Iran

France has called for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss possible action against Iran after the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had worked on nuclear weapons technology.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement France was ready for "unprecedented" sanctions against Iran if it refused to abide by international demands.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- citing what it called credible information from member states and elsewhere -- in a report on November 8 said there were indications Iran has carried out tests relevant to developing nuclear weapons.

The European Union also expressed grave concern over the findings of the report.

Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign-policy chief Catherine Ashton, told RFE/RL: "The report actually seriously aggravates existing concerns on the nature of the Iranian nuclear program because this report, as you know, puts particular emphasis on information that was corroborated by the IAEA regarding the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program."

Iran has rejected the IAEA report as "unbalanced" and "politically motivated."

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, in a speech broadcast by state television, said on November 9 that Iran "will not budge an iota" from its nuclear path.

The Security Council has already passed four resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used in making atomic bombs.

Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

with agency reports