Middle East News
Obama: International community discussing new Iran sanctions (Extra)
Nov 19, 2009, 3:56 GMT
Seoul - US President Barack Obama said Thursday the United States and its international allies have begun discussing 'consequences' for Iran, as the Islamic state apparently rejected the latest compromise offer over its nuclear programme.
Much to Washington's disappointment, there has been no positive reaction from Tehran to the international community's 'fair offer,' Obama said in Seoul following a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung Bak.
Neither Iran nor North Korea could continue to bank on the world community continuing to accept endless talks and negotiations which lead to no results, without taking any action, Obama said.
The offers made to those two countries were not valid indefinitely, Obama said. 'Consequences' in the form of toughened sanctions had to be discussed to increase the pressure on Iran and North Korea to abandon their nuclear programmes, he said.
Iran must be given a clear message, Obama said.
Tehran on Wednesday apparently rejected a compromise offer in which the country would have shipped its low-enriched uranium abroad to be processed into nuclear fuel in Russia and France, to be used for its medical-purpose reactor in Tehran.
The deal was seen internationally as a confidence-building measure for Iran, which wants to prove to the world that its nuclear programme is not intended for making weapons.
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