Rice addresses NATO on Iranian nukes

BRUSSELS, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the international community has agreed to ramp up pressure on Iran regarding its controversial nuclear program.

Rice met with NATO foreign ministers Friday to discuss possible sanctions targeting the Iranian regime if Iran refuses to halt its uranium enrichment activity, Voice of America reported Saturday.

Rice said her NATO counterparts all agreed to continue to lobby for more U.N. sanctions against Iran.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated Moscow's position remains unchanged in opposing more stringent sanctions against Iran, citing Russian intelligence that is in opposition to several claims made by the United States regarding Iran's nuclear program.

An intelligence estimate from the United States said Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003. The United States credits its Iranian policy as contributing to the program stoppage.

Iranian ministers said Saturday the United States was politicizing the report.