Friday, January 20, 2012

Sarkozy: ‘Time running out for Iran diplomacy’

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today that Iran's leaders must be forced to negotiate over the country's uranium enrichment programme because time was running out to avoid a military intervention.

"Everything should be done to avoid a military intervention ... but time is running out," Sarkozy told foreign ambassadors gathered in Paris.

"France will do everything to avoid military intervention but we need stronger, more decisive sanctions that stop the purchase of Iranian oil and freezes the assets of the central bank, and those who don't want that will be responsible for the risks of a military conflict."

Sarkozy urged Russia and China to back the sanctions, which are expected to be approved by European Union foreign ministers on Monday. Israel and the United States do not rule out military action if Iran refuses to desist from operations which they say shows that Tehran, despite denials, is seeking nuclear weapons.