West pushes for new sanctions against Iran

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The United States, Britain, France and Germany are exchanging ideas on a fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt its nuclear enrichment program as demanded by the Security Council, reports Reuters.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has announced that his country is ready to send its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for further enrichment into fuel to produce medical isotopes, an offer Tehran had earlier annoyed Russia and the Western powers by rejecting.
Diplomats said that even if Tehran agrees to the deal, the four Western powers will press ahead with plans to put together a sanctions proposal that has the backing of Russia and China.
Following are details of the kinds of new or expanded sanctions Iran might face based on information provided to Reuters by Western diplomats who declined to be identified.
France and the United States have both prepared informal papers outlining the kinds of punitive measures against Iran the 15-nation Security Council could approve. Senior U.S. and French officials are planning to discuss these ideas with their British and German colleagues by telephone later this week.
Once the four have identified the outlines of a possible sanctions proposal, it will be put to Russia and China, which have been reluctant to punish Tehran in the past and worked hard to dilute proposed measures before they were voted on.
The full six are also planning a telephone call later this week, though China has yet to confirm its participation.
Once the five permanent Security Council members and Germany -- often referred to as the "P5+1" -- agree on elements for a sanctions resolution, they can submit it to the full council and prepare a draft resolution to be voted on.
The Western powers would like to get a sanctions resolution adopted by the end of March.
Among the possible targets are Iran's central bank, which Western diplomats say has been a key player in financing Tehran's nuclear and missile programs and in skirting previously approved U.N. sanctions.
Meanwhile, AFP adds: Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi warned Thursday that threatening more sanctions against Iran will derail diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.
"This talk of sanctions at this moment will complicate the situation and stand in the way of finding a diplomatic solution," Yang told a gathering at a French think-tank.
China, a member of the UN Security Council, has called for more dialogue with Tehran, clashing with France and the United States which are seeking to move toward sanctions.