French President Francois Hollande urged "coercive" measures by the UN Security Council against Syria if it does not hand over its chemical weapons, as he urged Iran to make "concrete gestures" on its nuclear program before his mee

French President Francois Hollande urged "coercive" measures by the UN Security Council against Syria if it does not hand over its chemical weapons, as he urged Iran to make "concrete gestures" on its nuclear program before his meeting with Tehran's new leader.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, the French leader said that a resolution being discussed by the major powers must "foresee coercive measures" under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and for those responsible for chemical weapon attacks in Syria to be "held accountable in the justice system."

Article 42 of Chapter VII allows for the possible use of military force to enforce compliance.

"We want the resolution that will be voted in coming days to be binding," Hollande told a press conference after addressing the assembly.
"That means it indicates that in case of a failure, it has to be possible to use sanctions under Chapter VII," he added.

"If there is no binding character in the resolution there will be no follow-up in respecting the commitments."

Hollande said that if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad failed to keep to the Russia-US plan, the Security Council would have to meet immediately and be able to decide new measures.

On the other hand, Hollande said his country “expects Iran to make concrete gestures to show that it renounces its military nuclear program, even if it has a right to a civilian program.”

"The question at hand is to know if these words can translate into actions, especially on the nuclear issue," he told the UNGA.
"For the past 10 years talks haven't gone anywhere," he added.

Hollande said that he will "stand firm" against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, just hours before his meeting with the Islamic Republic’s newly elected President Sheikh Hasan Rouhani.