Rice threatens Iran with UN sanctions

Iran was today given its toughest warning yet on nuclear arms.

It came from US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice who said Iran must accept European proposals and give up its suspected nuclear weapons programme.

She said failure to do so could end in UN sanctions.

"If they are unwilling to take the deal ... then the Security Council looms," she said.

Speaking in Paris before departing for

Brussels, she said: "I don't know that anyone has said that as clearly as they should."

Her comments were designed to pressure Tehran and also to spur the European powers negotiating with Iran to get tougher with the Islamic republic.

Ms Rice was scheduled to visit Nato headquarters in an attempt to heal divisions following the invasion of Iraq.