US, France say Iran needs to meet nuclear obligations

VOA News -- U.S. President Barack Obama says Iran's nuclear program poses a "continuing threat" and that he and France's president agree on the need to maintain "unprecedented international pressure" on Tehran to meet its nuclear obligations.

Obama commented Thursday after meeting with French leader Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of a summit of the world's leading 20 economies in the French resort city of Cannes.

Obama says he and Sarkozy discussed Iran in talks that covered a wide range of security issues.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is due to release a report on Iran's nuclear program next week. Reuters news agency says the report is expected to provide details suggesting a military dimension to the program.

Iran, which is under U.N. sanctions for its nuclear program, says its nuclear activities are peaceful. An Iranian envoy to the U.N. accused Western powers of trying to use the IAEA as a political tool.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Iran's foreign minister, during a visit to Libya, warned the United States about entering a "collision course" with Iran on the nuclear issue.

Israel, meanwhile, held an emergency civil defense drill Thursday, mimicking a foreign missile attack, as Israeli media reports speculated on the possibility of an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

Speculation rose this week after reports that Israeli leaders were seeking a timetable for a possible strike on Iran.

Israel test-fired a missile Wednesday that Israeli media said was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. There were also reports of an Israeli air force exercise over the Mediterranean Sea.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.