US urges UN to get tough on Iran

By Claire Truscott
November 2, 2007 
The Guardian 
Original Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,331149436-111322,00.html


The US today called on the UN security council to get tough on Iran, a week after announcing unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
The US undersecretary of state, Nicholas Burns, met diplomats from the four other permanent security council members, along with Germany, in London.

Mr Burns was aiming to rally support for tougher treatment of the Iranian government over its nuclear programme.

The prime minister, Gordon Brown, and France support the imposition of new sanctions if Iran continues to refuse to suspend uranium enrichment, but Russia and China remain sceptical.

Tehran, which has a deadline of next month to disclose full details of its nuclear programme, maintains its nuclear programme is for the generation of power. Washington accuses it of intending to develop nuclear weapons.

After talks with Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, yesterday, Burns said Washington wanted a resolution on a third round of security council sanctions to be passed soon.

There are sanctions being implemented ... and there will be a third security council sanctions resolution if Iran continues to defy the council, he said.

The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said Germany would support new sanctions if Tehran failed to meet the December deadline for providing details of its programme.

However, the former Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani, said talks between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog were making progress, and criticised Washington's approach.

The US is making mistakes, he said. Iran is having talks, and has said it will respond to IAEA questions. They are gradually coming and taking their response. One has to wait, talk and make discussions.

Britain is pressing for tougher EU sanctions on Iran, including bans on investment or export credit guarantees.

However, EU foreign ministers last month failed to agree on such measures, despite the efforts of the UK and France.