European leaders will support new sanctions against Iran, warning that Tehran's refusal to negotiate over its nuclear programme must be met with a "clear response".

In a draft statement in Brussels yesterday, the leaders of the 27 European Union nations announced their readiness to back moves by the United States, Britain and France for fresh measures at the UN Security Council.

"Iran's persistent failure to meet its international obligations and Iran's apparent lack of interest in pursuing negotiations require a clear response, including through appropriate measures," the draft document said.

"Consistent with the dual-track approach, the European Union would support action by the UNSC (Security Council) if Iran continues not to cooperate with the international community over its nuclear programme."

Should the United Nations move toward punitive action FROM PAGE 16

against Iran, the draft statement said, "the European Union stands ready to take the necessary steps to accompany this UNSC process.'

The leaders, clearly frustrated by what officials claim isTehran's nuclear negotiating brinkmanship, will task EU foreign ministers to study options for new steps when they meet in Brussels on January 25.

Besides, The US Defence Secretary yesterday in a meeting with US soldiers at northern city of Iraq predicted significant international sanctions would be levied if Iran continued with its current nuclear program, and he reiterated that all options, including military action, must stay on the table.

"1 think that you are going to see some significant additional sanctions imposed by the international community," Gates said, adding that "any military action would only buy some time, maybe two or three years."

His comments came a day after United States, Britain and France warned that Iran risks increased sanctions unless it immediately complies with a series of Security Council resolu -tions regarding its nuclear program.

Ambassadors from the three countries made their comments at a Security Council meeting after a sanctions committee report to the council on Thursday found an "apparent pattern of sanctions violations involving prohibited arms transfers" over the past three months.

'There is no longer any rea-

son to wait" to consider deeper sanctions, France's Ambassador to the UN Geraud Araud told the council.

WhileThursday’s report dealt mainly with the interdiction of two vessels carrying weapons from Iran and headed for Syria, recent revelations of an undeclared uranium enrichment plant near the city of Qom and Iran's recent declaration that it intends to build 10 more enrichment plants stirred the most concern amongdiplomats.

"Iflran continues to do everything it can to violate five Security Council resolutions, if it continues io refuse the slightest confidence measures, to refuse dialogue, transparency after the major revelations that have just been made, we must draw all of the necessary conclusions and that means we must move on to a new resolution involving sanc-tions,"Araudsaid.

In a statement, Iran's UN Mission called the assertions "baseless and unfounded," saying Iran remains committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the International Atomic Energy Agency's Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.

Many in the West suspect the Islamic republic is developing technology to enrich uranium to highly refined levels to covertly build a nuclear bomb.

Iran says it is working on a civil energy programme and rejects attempts to force it to stop enrichment or farm out enrichment work abroad to fuel a research reactor in Tehran, in a plan pushed by the UN nuclear watchdog.