Obama expects Iran sanctions within "weeks"

Mar 30, 2010, 23:07 GMT

Washington - US President Barack Obama said he expects the UN Security Council to adopt sanctions against Iran within 'weeks' over the Islamic republic's refusal to resolve the dispute over its nuclear activities.

'I'm not interested in waiting months for a sanctions regime to be in place. I'm interested in seeing that regime in place in weeks,' Obama said at a press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Iran was at the top of the agenda during Sarkozy's first visit to the White House since Obama took office, and the French leader was unwavering in his support for additional sanctions on Iran.

'We will make all the necessary efforts to ensure that Europe as a whole engages in the sanctions regime,' Sarkozy said through a translator.

Obama accused Iran of rejecting his overtures to resolve the dispute diplomatically. He said the door remains open for negotiations, but his administration will move forward with persuading the Security Council to enact sanctions.

Obama and Sarkozy also discussed the conflict in Afghanistan, but the US president did not request additional French troops, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The Afghan conflict is unpopular in France, which has limited its troop deployment to about 3,700.

Obama is boosting the US presence there by 30,000 troops this year.

The two leaders discussed the Middle East peace process, climate change, the global economic recovery, trade and financial regulation.

While the United States, Britain and France have backed sanctions against Iran, the other two permanent members of the Security Council - China and Russia - have been reluctant to get behind strong measures.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has been more open to the idea, but Beijing, which has economic ties with Iran, has continued to resist. Obama attributed China's position to an unwillingness to place its immediate commercial interests ahead of long-term stability in the Middle East.

The United States will continue the diplomatic effort to persuade China to join the cause, Obama said.