PAPHOS, Cyprus: European Union nations waved the threat of new international sanctions against Iran over its contested nuclear drive yesterday, as Russia complained such measures harm its interests.
With frustration mounting over the lack of progress in talks between global powers and Iran, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Tehran has made no “substantial offer” to reassure the world of its nuclear intentions.
“Therefore we must prepare new sanctions,” he told journalists at the close of two days of informal talks among EU foreign ministers, their first since the summer break.
“Atomic weapons in Iran are not acceptable,” Westerwelle added.
Iran had a right to nuclear energy for civilian purposes, said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, but “we consider unacceptable, highly dangerous, the prospect of Iran possessing nuclear weapons.”
There was “a growing consensus” at the talks to slap new punitive measures against Iran failing a breakthrough in negotiations, ministers said.
The calls came just as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov grumbled that US sanctions on Syria and Iran were harming Russian business interests because they were “increasingly becoming extra-territorial in nature.”
He said Russian banks were particularly being affected.
EU threatens new Iran curbs despite Moscow’s grumble
