Brussels, 22/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Union is planning to step up its sanctions against Iran for its nuclear policy with a freeze on assets and a visa ban on around 200 additional people and entities, diplomatic sources say, cited by AFP on 22 November. Sanctions are expected to be officially endorsed during the Foreign Affairs Council on 1 December. The EU is also studying the possibility of taking measures against new economic and industrial sectors in Iran, according to a European source.
On Monday 21 November, in a letter addressed, inter alia, to the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, the president of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, recommended that the European Union and its member states, the United States, Japan and Canada, as well as other countries willing to take part, should take new sanctions of unprecedented magnitude to convince Iran that it should negotiate. Sarkozy mooted the idea that his partners should freeze the assets of the Iranian central bank and suspend purchases of Iranian oil products, as a protest against Iran's nuclear programme. The French president reproaches Tehran for speeding up its nuclear programme, refusing to enter talks, and condemning the Iranian people to international isolation. Sarkozy also called on Iran to immediately suspend its illegal ballistic and nuclear activity, and to cease threatening the countries of the region. “If Iran so wishes, negotiation in good faith - that our countries have always advocated - is possible”, he said.
That same day, the United Kingdom announced it would break off all existing ties between the British financial sector and Iranian banks.
Iran, for its part, has underlined that it is not concerned by the additional sanctions imposed upon it. In the event of sanctions from France or other European countries, Iran will sell its petroleum to other customers, Iran's Deputy Oil Minister Ahmad Qalebani said. (CG/transl.jl)