Washington, Sept 8 (ZEENEWS.COM) The US has said that Iran can still hold negotiations based on suspension of their uranium enrichment programme and take on the obligations insisted upon by the UN nuclear watchdog.

If Tehran wants to talk about the obligations insisted by the International Atomic Energy Agency "the time for talking is still there," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said responding to a query on Iran.

However, she said that the UN Security Council must live up to its own requirements or risk being "severely" weakened.

"...Clearly the Security Council is now going to have to act on the fact that the deadline has passed. Now, we have never said that the time for talking is ever passed. If the Iranians wish now to still take on the obligations that the IAEA has insisted upon, if the Iranians want to have negotiations based on suspension of their enrichment -- uranium enrichment activity, the time for talking is still there," Rice remarked.

"But the time has come for the Security Council to now consider its next steps under Article 41 Chapter 7 which is -- was what was demanded in the last resolution. We will have discussions with our colleagues over the next several days.

"There will be further discussions, but I do think that the time in which the Iranians can continue simply to ask questions and to stall; that time is gone. If the Iranians wish to enter negotiations, the terms by which that will happen are pretty clear," the top cabinet official of the Bush administration said.