Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom called on Sunday for a harder international line towards Iran and its nuclear program in the wake of the newly elected ultra-conservative Iranian president.

"Faced with the Iranian nuclear threat, the international community must, more than before, formulate a unified and stern policy towards Iran," Shalom told reporters.

Shalom repeated Israel's call for referring Iran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions against the country.

Israel said last month that it expected Iran to have the technological know-how within six to nine months to build nuclear bombs.

Israel, backed by the United States, has accused Iran of seeking nuclear bombs, while Tehran has stressed the purpose of its nuclear program is only to generate electricity.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who defeated political heavyweight Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the 9th presidential elections Friday, has used firm language on Iran's controversial nuclear program, saying it was the nation's right to develop its nuclear technology.

Source: Xinhua