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Saturday, August 09, 2008
05:51 Mecca time, 02:51 GMT
 
News Europe
EU tightens Iran sanctions
Iran insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy production [EPA]

The European Union has tightened trade sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment.

The new restrictions announced on Friday came as Iranian nuclear officials met an envoy from the UN nuclear watchdog.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said that the two days of talks with Olli Heinonen of the International Atomic Energy Agency were "constructive".

"Current developments as well as relations between Iran's atomic energy organisation and the IAEA were discussed in a positive atmosphere," Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy chief of Iran's atomic energy organisation, was quoted as saying.

It was not clear if the IAEA mission was directly related to a package of incentives being offered to Tehran if it freezes uranium enrichment, a process Western nations have said could be used to build an atomic weapon.
  
However, a diplomat close to the IAEA had previously said that Heinonen's visit was likely to concentrate on clarifying outstanding questions about Iran's nuclear programme rather than the incentives offer.

New restrictions

The new EU restrictions announced on Friday go slightly beyond existing UN trade sanctions and are designed to deny public loans or export credits to companies trading with Iran. 

France, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said European governments would also carefully watch financial groups doing business with Iranian banks and increase checks on ships and aircraft travelling to Iran.

"This resolution expands the range of restrictive measures adopted by the UN security council," in December 2006 and March 2007, an EU statement said.

Earlier this week, France and the US said Iran's response to the package of incentives was insufficient.

Iran said on Tuesday that it would only give a clear response to the offer when it gets a direct response on questions it has about the incentives.

Iran insists that as a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty it has the right to develop nuclear technology which it says is aimed at generating electricity.

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 9
 
bert
United Kingdom
10/08/2008
Iran Nuclear power
the only people these sanction are going to hurt are normal people the cost of fuel will rise again and the cost of living will go up with it!

k.
Afghanistan
09/08/2008
The new restrictions announced by the EU deny the truth of the facts reported by the IAEA and the right of the country to peaceful use of nuclear energy which the EU itself recognized in the NPT! Who can trust such signatories?

An American
United States
10/08/2008
"EU tightens Iran sanctions"
Iran has violated UN security council resolutions, because they have been caught with an hidden nuclear program and evidence of progress towards nuclear weapons. The un-elected religious mullah of Iran is on record saying that he will trade 20 million Iranian lives for the destruction of Israel. All of the above FACTS lead to a simple conclusion: The world is better of if Iran is crushed and made an example of. By doing so the surrounding countries will not seek nuclear weapons.

Camille Paldi
United States
10/08/2008
Another American
The imposition of UN Security Council Sanctions on Iran for 'violation' of IAEA inspections of its' nuclear facilities is a trick which was also used in Iraq, to make the world believe that Iran is violating international law so that Imperial powers can wage what looks like a 'just war' against Iran, slaughtering innocent Iranian civilians, while taking over the oil and natural gas industry of the nation. Why pay for it when you can take it for free? Does anyone care that we will be in WWIII?

yoni
Israel
12/08/2008
israel NEVER threaten any other contry in destruction. iran's leader consistency insist that the only democraty regime in the middle east -israel should be erased. this is the responsibility of the international community to ensure that iran won't get the power to do so. HOWEVER be sure that if no one do anything we won't wait forever.

NICK
United States
10/08/2008
MIDDLE EAST NUCLEAR CONTROL
If the UN was really interested in controling nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, they would inspect Israel to demonstrate that no country is outside the law. If the UN inspected Israel's nuclear facilities, I am sure that this would go a long way towards Iran being more cooperative. If the UN is not willing to open up to the world, Israel's nuclear capability, and control it like they want to do for Iran, then they should let Iran get on with their project.

Cyrus
Canada
13/08/2008
"There will be no choice but to attack Iran to halt the Iranian nuclear program" Actual quote from Israeli Minister Shaul Mofaz. Iran has never attacked any other Country and has never threatened to attack Israel (that is a common misconception of reality), unlike Israel. Iran has only said that they will defend themselves if attacked

A Rational Human
Great Britain (UK)
17/08/2008
Sanctions
Suppose that Iran was ruled by Chaka Zulu of Georgia what’s his name, would things be different even though he was ruling the Iranian Republic? Why not? Israel has WMDs and there isn't a country in the world that has the potential for using such weaponry, on its enemies like her. Is it because it will destroy her also? Does the real reason why Iran is targeted linked to her wanting to copy Israeli military industry? This is progress, real progress isn't it? Isn't this what FREEDOM is all about?

radit
Indonesia
18/08/2008
EU tighten Iran sanctions
There have been no evidence showing Iran attacked other country near them lately. We don't to be worry about the nuclear development program in Iran. Why do the superpower countries, like US, have to be so scare of Iranian nuclear? Is that because threat over Israel from Iran? I think Israel deserve the threat.

 
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