Pressure must continue on Iran, Germany says

Dec 5, 2007, 15:32 GMT

Berlin - The German government said Wednesday that the international community needed to continue pressing Iran to halt its uranium enrichment programme.

Iran continued to violate international law in this respect because it was failing to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions, government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said.

'There remains a cause for concern,' the spokesman said, two days after a US intelligence assessment concluded that Tehran appeared to have suspended its nuclear weapons programme in 2003.

At the same time, Wilhelm said an offer of cooperation with Iran remained in force if the government there agreed to halt enrichment, which some nations in the West fear is geared towards making a bomb.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the US intelligence finding proves a united stance in the international community is needed.

He said the united stance of the European Union, United States, Russia and China had 'evidently not failed to make an impression on the political leadership in Iran.'

'I appeal to the Iranian leadership to continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to respond to the unanswered questions about their nuclear programme promptly and comprehensively,' he said.