US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday that the United States wanted United Nations to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Powell, arriving in Washington after his visit to Panama, told reporters that the United States wanted the UN

Security Council to impose economic and political sanctions against Iran as the MiddleEast country was believed to be on the verge of enriching enough uranium for making four nuclear weapons.

Powell said the Bush administration would push the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refer Iran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council for the sanctions when the IAEA holds its board meeting on Sept. 13.

The United States will consult with Germany, Britain and France and other IAEA board members about Iran's nuclear program in the coming days, Powell said.

Powell's remarks came after John Bolton, US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, on Wednesday voiced great concern over an IAEA report that Iran planned an industrial-scale test of a uranium conversion facility soon, a move that could lead to the production of nuclear weapons.

"We view with great concern the IAEA report that Iran is about to convert 37 tons of 'yellowcake' uranium into uranium hexaflouride gas, as well as Iran's recent announcement that it intends to test its gas centrifuges," Bolton said.

Bolton said this was "further strong evidence of the compelling need" to take Iran's nuclear program to the UN Security Council.

The IAEA report said that Iranian technicians had told its inspectors they planned to convert 37 tons of "yellowcake" uraniuminto uranium hexaflouride, a move that could lead to making atomicbombs.

However, Iran has denied that it is seeking to make nuclear weapons and said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Source: Xinhua