France calls for stricter sanctions against Iran

TEHRAN,May 19(MNA) – The United States and European nations should take “decisive sanctions” against Iran over its nuclear program, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday, according to AFP. “Given the inflexibility of Iran’s position, this dual, sanctions-dialogue approach should allow us to increase pressure on Iran in the coming months as the Iranian uranium enrichment program continues to expand in quantity and quality,” Le Drian said. “More than ever we have a responsibility to defeat this strategy of procrastination and concealment,” he added during a talk at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank. “This responsibility justifies the strong commitment of ours, alongside our American allies and European partners, for the implementation of decisive sanctions.” According to the Washington Post, U.S. lawmakers also urged the Obama administration on Wednesday to tighten the squeeze on Iran’s economy, saying that even last year’s dramatic sanctions against Iranian banks and oil companies weren’t enough to stop Iran’s nuclear advances. The United States and some other Western countries have imposed a range of sanctions on Iran for several years in an effort to curb Iran’s nuclear activities. They claim that Iran may be seeking to develop the capability to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies the allegation, saying its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes.