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FRANCE: IRAN TO FACE SANCTIONS December 6, 2006
Zainab Osman
(SomaliNet) The French foreign minister said Wednesday that Iran will face U.N. sanctions for refusing to halt its nuclear program but that major world powers remain divided over their extent.
Iran's hard-line president threatened to downgrade relations with the 25-nation European Union if tough sanctions emerged from the talks among diplomats from the permanent Security Council members, the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia, as well as Germany and the EU.
After months of diplomatic wrangling, the United States and France had hoped Tuesday's talks would produce a resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for defying an Aug. 31 U.N. deadline to halt enrichment. Western powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear bombs, while Tehran insists it only wants civilian nuclear energy.
The discussions now move to the United Nations in New York. The Americans and Europeans are pushing for a resolution by the end of the year.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Tuesday to stick by the nuclear program and issued a new threat to downgrade relations with the EU if European negotiators opted for tough sanctions. He gave no details on how ties might be downgraded. The EU is Iran's biggest trading partner.