PARIS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- France and the United States expect a strong and united UN response to Iran's uranium enrichment through a resolution which might allow sanctions on the Islamic republic.

    France wanted to see a clear message to Iran from the United Nations Security Council and "a Chapter 7 resolution" was one of the possibilities, the French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei told reporters before a meeting of the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany to discuss Iran's nuclear program later Tuesday.

    The five veto-wielding Security Council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- together with Germany, will try to come up with a united approach to Iran's nuclear program before the UN Security Council meeting on the issue next Tuesday.

    A resolution under the UN Charter's Chapter 7 allows sanctions and possibly force.

    However, the French spokesman said diplomacy was still the focus of their efforts.

    The United States echoed France's remarks by calling for a tougher message to Iran, which failed to comply with a UN deadline of April 28 to suspend its uranium enrichment.

    The U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said "the Security Council had no option but to proceed with the Chapter 7,"adding that it was forced upon the international community by Iran.

    Burns, nevertheless, said there could still be a diplomatic solution and "We have not given up on diplomacy."

    Washington accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly,a charge denied by Tehran which insists that it's nuclear program is to generate electricity to meet surging domestic demand. Enditem