Steinmeier - Planning ahead
Photo: Niv Calderon
Obama - Nuclear leverage?
Photo: AP
Report: Germany planning fresh Iran sanctions
Der Spigel reports German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pushing to draft series of new sanctions with agreement of other world powers in hopes of giving Obama administration negotiating leverage with Tehran upon assuming office
Germany is preparing a package of fresh sanctions against Iran that US President-elect Barack Obama could use to put pressure on the Islamic Republic when he takes office, a magazine reported on Saturday.
Der Spiegel magazine said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier wanted to agree the package with other world powers to give Obama the means to press Iran into dialogue over its nuclear ambitions.
The German Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report. Steinmeier's political director had already submitted the idea to French and British officials, Spiegel said. The plan envisaged world powers agreeing on the new sanctions – without yet implementing them - to give Obama negotiating leverage.
Obama has said he is prepared to offer Iran economic incentives to stop its nuclear program, but he has also warned Tehran that sanctions could be toughened if it refused.
The West believes Iran's nuclear enrichment program is intended to build atomic weapons, an allegation Tehran denies. Iran's defiance has led to three rounds of UN sanctions since2006 , as well as bilateral punitive measures by Washington.
The fresh sanctions Steinmeier wanted to plan would target banks and transport companies, Spiegel said.
