Russia could accept sanctions against Iran: Lavrov

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia could agree to sanctions against Iran if the Islamic Republic fails to answer proposals for resolving the current nuclear crisis, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, in an apparent hardening of his country's position.

"If the first resolution calling on Iran to respond to the demands of the IAEA doesn't work, we have agreed that after a period it will be necessary to discuss additional measures, including measures of an economic character," Lavrov told Echo Moscow radio in an interview on Wednesday.

"This period should be a reasonable one so that Iran can realise the attractiveness of the proposals.

"The resolution currently being discussed... says that the (UN) Security Council, while expecting an answer from Iran, intends to look at additional measures if there isn't an answer. It clearly states that these measures do not include the use of force," Lavrov said.

"If after a certain period we don't hear an answer from Iran and discussions aren't renewed, we will look in the Security Council at additional measures," he said.

The proposals put to Iran were presented by the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany in June. They offer trade, political and economic incentives.

The lack of response from Iran has led to renewed discussion of the issue in the Security Council.

The United States has led calls for Iran to suspend sensitive nuclear fuel cycle work, suspecting that Tehran's stated desire for peaceful nuclear energy is a cover for a weapons programme.

Russia is a close ally of Iran and is building the Islamic Republic's first nuclear power station at Bushehr, a project the US has said should be halted.

Russia backs UN deadline on Iran: Lavrov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is prepared to back a United Nations resolution giving Iran a deadline to respond to a package of incentives on its nuclear program, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying on Thursday.

But he did not say if Russia would support imposing sanctions on Iran if it failed to comply -- an issue that has split the U.N. Security Council.

Tehran has not responded to a package of commercial and technical incentives that six major powers submitted to it last month to persuade it to stop enriching uranium.

"A lot of time has passed, a lot more than the Iranian president promised our president (Vladimir Putin) in terms of when Iran would give its reply," Lavrov said in an interview published in Kommersant newspaper.

"We will be ready to support a resolution which will strengthen the demands of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) with regard to Iran and will ask it for an answer after a particular period," Lavrov said.

Russia is one of the five powers with a veto on the Security Council. The five, plus Germany, began work this week on a resolution demanding Iran suspend uranium enrichment.

Iran says it is enriching uranium to generate electricity, but the West fears it is a prelude to bomb-making.

The draft under consideration in the U.N. would make it mandatory for Iran to suspend enrichment and includes threats of sanctions if it does not comply. In his interview, Lavrov did not say if Russia would back that draft.