BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Iran may face "punitive" measures because of its insufficient response to an incentives package offered in return for a cutback in its nuclear program, a senior White House official said Wednesday.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said there is room for "common ground."
"In the absence of a positive response to the generous offer that we provided in our incentives package, I think that the allies will have no choice but to take further measures that would be punitive," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Thailand, the next stage of a week-long Asian tour by President George W. Bush, she said Iran's response to the package "doesn't look like it's anything worth writing home about."
The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that world powers will seek new sanctions against Iran for failing to accept an internation offer for economic incentives in exchange for suspending its nuclear activity, .
The announcement came after Iran failed to meet a two week deadline to respond positively to the international offer made at talks last month in Geneva attended by a top U.S. official.
"We are very disappointed that Iran has failed yet again to give Javier Solana a clear answer to the P5+1's generous incentives package," Acting State Department Spokesman Gonzo Gallegos said, calling Iran's response sent Tuesday to the European Union a "stalling tactic."
Gallegos said the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, known as the P5+1, "are agreed that we have no choice but to pursue further sanctions against Iran".
Top officials from the group agreed on the approach Wednesday morning during a conference call.
Gallegos said the countries are "discussing next steps in the UN Security Council and beginning to consider the possible outlines of another sanctions resolution."
There are already three sanctions resolutions against Iran for failing to suspend its uranium enrichment program suspected of being used to make a nuclear bomb.
These Western powers want Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities, fearing it is a step toward developing a nuclear weapon. Tehran contends it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful domestic purposes.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently said that that there is room for "common ground" between the United States and Iran on the nuclear issue.
A top United Nations' nuclear official agency is meanwhile due head to Iran Thursday for talks with officials amid the current continued diplomatic sparring between Iran and Western powers over the Iran's nuclear ambitions
The International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that its deputy director general Olli Heinonen is headed there, but did not elaborate on the agenda.
From the Blogs: 
Sit tight, we're getting to the good stuff
