By James Kilner
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned Iran on Wednesday that itwould back further United Nations sanctions over its nuclearprogramme unless Tehran halted uranium enrichment in the nextfew days.
The United States, Britain and France are pushing to imposenew punitive measures on Iran, which they suspect of seeking toacquire a nuclear weapon.
Russia's U.N. envoy Vitaly Churkin said Moscow could back asanctions resolution the Western powers have drafted and whichthey are seeking to discuss in the Security Council this week.
"If Iran in the next few days does not stop the enrichmentactivities of its heavy water project then yes, Russia ... hastaken upon itself certain commitments... to support theresolution that has been drafted in the past month," Churkintold reporters via a video link from New York.
The U.N. Security Council has demanded Iran halt uraniumenrichment, the part of its nuclear programme that most worriesthe West because the process can potentially be used to makematerial for bombs.
Iran has refused to halt the work. It says it is seeking tomaster nuclear technology so it can make fuel for a plannednetwork of nuclear power plants and save its huge oil and gasreserves for export.
France and Britain have submitted a third sanctionsresolution against Iran calling for measures including assetfreezes and mandatory travel bans for specific Iranianofficials.
It also expands the list of Iranian officials and companiestargeted by the sanctions. Earlier rounds of sanctions wereimposed in December 2006 and March 2007.
Russia, which has increasing ties to Iran's energyindustry, has previously been reluctant to impose more U.N.sanctions on Iran.
INCENTIVES?
Major powers are also discussing possible new moves to drawIran into negotiations over its nuclear programme, EU foreignpolicy chief Javier Solana confirmed on Wednesday.
"It's been a debate of the political directors of the sixcountries," Solana told Reuters on the margins of a conferencein Brussels, when asked about the possibility of new stepsinvolving incentives to Tehran.
He was referring to the five major powers of the U.N.Security Council -- the United States, China, Russia, Franceand Britain -- plus Germany.
Political directors from the six met in Washington onMonday when they agreed to move ahead soon on the additionalsanctions.
U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said thepolitical directors were examining how a 2006 incentives offercould be presented in a way Iran would find attractive.
That offer included talks with the United States on anysubject if Tehran suspended uranium enrichment; airline partsfor civilian planes and dropping objections to entry to theWorld Trade Organisation.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Wednesday it wasnot inevitable that Iran would produce a nuclear bomb. Israelregards Iran's nuclear programme as a threat to its existence.
"I think there is time," said Olmert, asked by reportersduring a visit to Japan whether Iran could be stopped fromachieving nuclear weapons capability.
"The time is not unlimited but it is defined by more thanmonths," added Olmert, whose country is widely believed to havethe only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East.
(Additional reporting by Mark John in Brussels and TovaCohen in Tokyo; writing by Keith Weir)
