Moscow sees no weapons in Tehran

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- While there is no proof Iran is working on a nuclear weapon, the Islamic republic needs to provide more reassurances, the Russian foreign minister said.

World leaders are taking up discussion of Iran's controversial nuclear program at the U.N. General Assembly at the headquarters of the United Nations this week.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that there was no proof Iran was working on the technology needed to make a weapon, Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports. More work was needed from Tehran to verify the program's peaceful intentions, however.

He added that any military action against Iran would have "negative" consequences.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an 11-page report to U.N. member states, said Iran was holding back information related to its nuclear program after barring two U.N. inspectors from doing their work, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.

Iran last month started work at its Bushehr nuclear power plant with the help of Russian companies

Moscow, however, voted along with its partners in the U.N. Security Council to impose new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program.

"We hope that the signal has been noticed," the foreign minister said. "There are signs that Tehran is seriously considering our proposals."