American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran Monday that it will face stricter sanctions in two weeks unless it responds positively to an incentives program in return for its suspending nuclear development. "We are in the strongest possible position to demonstrate that if Iran doesn't act, then it is time to go back" to sanctions, she told reporters. 

The threat came days after Undersecretary of State William Burns met with European Union (EU) policy advisor Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator. Secretary Rice said Iran used "small talk" instead of providing a definitive answer.