Annan steps up pressure on Syria

Hariri's death led to protests that led to Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.

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• Reports: Iran voices support for Syria

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• Hariri's son calls for justice

• U.N. probe links Syria to Hariri killing

• Syria disputes U.N. Hariri report

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CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the U.N. Security Council will have to look at "what other action to take" if Syria does not cooperate with an investigation into the death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"Let me say that the U.N. resolution, the recent one which was passed on Syria, does not threaten sanctions," said Annan, after a meeting on Tuesday with the secretary-general of the Arab League.

"It asks Syria to cooperate and, of course, if Syria does not cooperate they will look at what other action to take.

"It does not specifically threaten sanctions. And, as I explained earlier, the objective of that is clear."

The United Nations has told Syria it wants to interrogate several suspects in its investigation into the assassination of Hariri.

Annan said he did not know where the chief investigator would interview the people he wants to question but said those interrogations could take place outside Syria.

"We don't know what Detlev Mehlis will do, but it is possible that he may wish to interview senior Syrians wherever he deems most appropriate," Annan said.

"It could be in Syria, it could be elsewhere. But I think that this is something Mehlis will have to determine."

Hariri, a veteran Lebanese politician who had become a critic of Syria's military occupation of Lebanon, was killed along with 20 other people by a powerful car bomb on February 14.

His assassination triggered massive protests that eventually led to Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon.

Syrian officials strongly deny any involvement in the killing and have said the report Mehlis has filed indicating Syrian participation is false and politically motivated.

Syria also denies that it has not cooperated with the U.N. investigation, which is to end December 15.

CNN Cairo Bureau Chief Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.

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