WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State ColinPowell said on Wednesday that Iran is moving in the direction of a nuclear weapon and the United States is insisting on referring the matter to the United Nations Security Council.

    "Iran is moving in the direction of a nuclear weapon. They are putting together a program that could produce such a weapon. I do not think it is something they can do overnight or in the next several months, as some people suggest. It is going to take the mtime," Powell said in an interview with the CNBC, a US financial news television.

    "It is time for this matter to be referred to the Security Council for it to be considered there. It is not in the interests of the region or the world for Iran to be moving in this direction," Powell said.

    Powell said that the United States has been working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to report Iran's nuclear issue to the Security Council and has been working with the EU-3,or France, Germany and Britain, to "get the Iranians to come into compliance with their IAEA obligations."

    Under prodding from the United States, the IAEA has set late November as the deadline by which Iran must comply with demands that it do more to disclose its nuclear activities. The United States has threatened to refer Iran's nuclear activities to the Security Council for discussions of sanctions. Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is for civil purposes. Enditem