Sanctions Pledge Wrongfoots Eu
The timing of Gordon Brown's announcement of new sanctions against Iran surprises some officials
Gordon Brown's announcement of new sanctions against Iran included financial measures already agreed in principle by the European Union and a vaguer reference to oil and gas sanctions yet to be decided on. The timing of the announcement, two days after Tehran was presented with a package of incentives for suspending uranium enrichment but before a formal Iranian reply, caught some officials by surprise. "No decision has been taken today," Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, who led the weekend mission to Tehran, said yesterday.
The EU agreed earlier this month to freeze the assets of Iran's biggest bank, Bank Melli, which has been accused by the US of financing nuclear and ballistic missile programs. But the timing of an announcement had been left vague, pending Tehran's response to the incentives package. A European official objected to the prime minister's claim, made standing alongside George Bush, that "Britain will urge Europe, and Europe will agree, to take sanctions against Iran".
"It makes it look as if this is all because George Bush came to Europe, and it has nothing to do with that," the official said. A Downing Street official insisted that "we feel those discussions [on Bank Melli] are completed, and it is likely to come into effect late next week".
In yesterday's press conference, Brown also said: "Action will start today on a new phase of sanctions on oil and gas." The No 10 source said discussions with Washington and European capitals on such measures were in the very early stages. They had been announced, the official said, to demonstrate the seriousness of rejecting the proposals.
The EU agreed earlier this month to freeze the assets of Iran's biggest bank, Bank Melli, which has been accused by the US of financing nuclear and ballistic missile programs. But the timing of an announcement had been left vague, pending Tehran's response to the incentives package. A European official objected to the prime minister's claim, made standing alongside George Bush, that "Britain will urge Europe, and Europe will agree, to take sanctions against Iran".
"It makes it look as if this is all because George Bush came to Europe, and it has nothing to do with that," the official said. A Downing Street official insisted that "we feel those discussions [on Bank Melli] are completed, and it is likely to come into effect late next week".
In yesterday's press conference, Brown also said: "Action will start today on a new phase of sanctions on oil and gas." The No 10 source said discussions with Washington and European capitals on such measures were in the very early stages. They had been announced, the official said, to demonstrate the seriousness of rejecting the proposals.
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