WASHINGTON: The White House said Wednesday it was hopeful Iran would suspend its controversial nuclear activities, but warned of more international sanctions if Tehran does not.

“We hope the Iranians will provide a positive answer,” to world powers offering incentives for Iran to halt to sensitive nuclear fuel work, national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

But “if they do not, the international community is united that more sanctions are coming,” he said.

World powers have offered to start pre-negotiations during which Tehran would add no more uranium-enriching centrifuges and in return face no further sanctions — the so-called “freeze-for-freeze” approach. —AFP