Brown pushing EU to freeze assets of Iran bank
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
LONDON, June 16 (Agencies): Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Britain is pushing the European Union to impose new sanctions against Iran, including freezing the assets of its biggest bank, to pressure the nation to give up its nuclear program.
``Britain will urge Europe, and Europe will agree to take further sanctions against Iran,'' Brown said in London at a press conference with U.S. President George W. Bush.
The sanctions are aimed at freezing the overseas assets of Bank Melli Iran, which Britain, the US and the United Nations have already singled out as a target. Western officials are using a combination of threats and incentives to coax Iran back into cooperation with United Nations nuclear inspectors probing claims the country is attempting to develop an atomic bomb.
Brown Monday announced new sanctions against Iran and a small increase in troops for Afghanistan, handing President Bush a symbolic boost on the last day of his weeklong farewell trip to Europe.
Brown, appearing with Bush at a 10 Downing Street news conference, said Britain and the European Union would act later Monday to freeze the assets of Iran's largest bank, Bank Melli, in response to Tehran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana was in Tehran this weekend to ask Iran to halt uranium enrichment in exchange for a new package of economic incentives. Iran, which says its nuclear program is aimed only at generating electricity, hasn't yet responded to the offer.
A British official, who briefed reporters in Luxembourg where EU foreign ministers are meeting, said a political agreement was reached some time ago to freeze the bank's assets. The EU may today finalize that decision and agree on the timing for it to take effect.
Ministers are only just beginning to discuss sanctions against Iranian oil and gas, the official said. U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, traveling with Bush to Belfast, said new actions would be announced today.
Iranian inflation accelerated to 25.3 percent in May, and the EU is hoping to build on a sense in Iran that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is harming the country's economy by refusing to cooperate.
Brown said ``everything possible is being done to maintain dialogue.'' The EU's offer proposes international aid in forging a civic nuclear program. Bush said he would support building up Iran's civilian nuclear program if he could be assured that work wasn't aimed at making a bomb.
``You bet you have a sovereign right, absolutely, but you don't have the trust of those who have watched you carefully,'' Bush said after meeting Brown in London. Pressure is necessary to solve ``this problem diplomatically'' though ``Iranians must understand that all options are on the table.''
Existing resolutions don't target Iran's oil and gas industries, which constitute the heart of its economy.
``Britain will urge Europe, and Europe will agree to take further sanctions against Iran,'' Brown said in London at a press conference with U.S. President George W. Bush.
The sanctions are aimed at freezing the overseas assets of Bank Melli Iran, which Britain, the US and the United Nations have already singled out as a target. Western officials are using a combination of threats and incentives to coax Iran back into cooperation with United Nations nuclear inspectors probing claims the country is attempting to develop an atomic bomb.
Brown Monday announced new sanctions against Iran and a small increase in troops for Afghanistan, handing President Bush a symbolic boost on the last day of his weeklong farewell trip to Europe.
Brown, appearing with Bush at a 10 Downing Street news conference, said Britain and the European Union would act later Monday to freeze the assets of Iran's largest bank, Bank Melli, in response to Tehran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana was in Tehran this weekend to ask Iran to halt uranium enrichment in exchange for a new package of economic incentives. Iran, which says its nuclear program is aimed only at generating electricity, hasn't yet responded to the offer.
A British official, who briefed reporters in Luxembourg where EU foreign ministers are meeting, said a political agreement was reached some time ago to freeze the bank's assets. The EU may today finalize that decision and agree on the timing for it to take effect.
Ministers are only just beginning to discuss sanctions against Iranian oil and gas, the official said. U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, traveling with Bush to Belfast, said new actions would be announced today.
Iranian inflation accelerated to 25.3 percent in May, and the EU is hoping to build on a sense in Iran that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is harming the country's economy by refusing to cooperate.
Brown said ``everything possible is being done to maintain dialogue.'' The EU's offer proposes international aid in forging a civic nuclear program. Bush said he would support building up Iran's civilian nuclear program if he could be assured that work wasn't aimed at making a bomb.
``You bet you have a sovereign right, absolutely, but you don't have the trust of those who have watched you carefully,'' Bush said after meeting Brown in London. Pressure is necessary to solve ``this problem diplomatically'' though ``Iranians must understand that all options are on the table.''
Existing resolutions don't target Iran's oil and gas industries, which constitute the heart of its economy.