European and US start push for new Iran sanctions

11 December 2009

At their summit in Brussels, the leaders of the 27 European Union countries have announced their readiness to back new sanctions against Iran at the UN Security Council. “Iran's persistent failure to meet its international obligations and Iran's apparent lack of interest in pursuing negotiations require a clear response, including through appropriate measures," the draft document said, adding that “the European Union would support action by the Security Council if Iran continues not to cooperate with the international community over its nuclear program.”

On Thursday, the Security Council discussed a report by a sanctions committee which found that there had been "apparent pattern of sanctions violations [by Iran] involving prohibited arms transfers" over the past three months. France called for immediate action regarding new sanctions. "There is no longer any reason to wait. Iran has never entered into a negotiation. If Iran does not do it in the short term, France will propose a new resolution on sanctions," the French UN ambassador Gérard Araud told the council.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday that he expected "significant new sanctions" to be imposed on Iran over its controversial nuclear program. "I think that you are going to see some significant additional sanctions imposed by the international community, assuming that the Iranians don't change course and agree to do the things they agreed to at the beginning of October," Gates told a group of US soldiers in Iraq.