By IANS,
Paris: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has urged “more decisive” sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme but warned that time was running out to avoid military intervention.
In his annual speech Friday on French diplomacy in Paris, Sarkozy said more decisive sanctions were needed to stop the purchase of Iranian oil and freeze the assets of the country’s central bank.
“Everything will be done to avoid military intervention, but time is running out,” he said.
The sanctions are expected to be approved by European Union foreign ministers Monday.
The US and Israel have refused to rule out military intervention over suspicions that Iran, which recently began producing enriched uranium at an underground plant, may be developing nuclear arms.
Iran insists its programme is peaceful.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that a Western attack on Iran would be a “catastrophe” and “would pour oil on the still smoldering fire of Sunni-Shia confrontation”.