国际英语新闻：Gates gets European support on Iran sanction

PARIS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- After the last stop in Paris, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrapped up his European tour on Tuesday with widespread support from European alliance on sanctions against Iran, in the hope that concrete punishment can stop Iran from moving closer to military nuclear programs.

During Gates' meeting with his French counterpart Herve Morin on Monday, the two nations' common position on Iran nuclear issue was a highlighted part besides other major topics such as France's sale of advanced warship Mistral to Russia, Afghan security issue, and competition and cooperation between European and U.S. plane makers.

Gates said sanctions were the only way to check Iran's military nuclear programs. "The only path that is left to us at this point...is that pressure track, it will require all of the international community to work together," he said.

Morin, on his part, said joint action would be the next step.

"It'll be necessary, unfortunately, to engage an international dialogue which will lead to new sanctions if Iran doesn't halt its nuclear programs," the French defense chief said, promising to work together with the United States on new sanctions.

Almost at the same time, Iran reportedly informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about its plan to produce 20 percent enriched uranium starting from Tuesday.

The Iranian move apparently ignored a draft deal brokered by the IAEA stipulating that most of Iran's existing low-grade enriched uranium should be shipped to Russia and France to be processed into fuel rods with 20 percent purity and the higher-level enriched uranium will then be transported back to Iran.

However, Iranian official defended that the plan did not contradict the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), provoking more concerns and fresh warnings from the West.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said Iran's latest announcement "may affect ongoing international efforts to ensure the availability of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor".

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he didn't believe Iran had the ability to raise the enrichment level of its uranium, calling the decision a "blackmail".

Yet, he voiced support to the U.S. proposal, saying "we can't apply other choice but only sanction, given the negotiation is impossible".

Kouchner said all major European powers were in favor of a fourth-round of U.N.-backed sanction.

After a near-one-hour meeting between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Gates on Monday afternoon, the Elysee Palace said the president agreed that "the time has come for the adoption of stronger sanctions, in the hope that dialogue could be resumed".

During Gates' visit to Rome on Feb. 6-8, Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini also expressed support to the U.S. envoy.

Frattini urged the Iranian government to stop buying time "with the international community while pushing forward with its nuclear ambitions," and called on global powers to hurdle Iran to constantly change its position.

In the wake of the Munich Security Conference held on Feb. 5-7, Germany also raised sanction threat against swaying Iran.

Later, Britain, a firm U.S. ally, said Monday it was "deeply worrying" about Iran's announcement of stepping up its enrichment process.

Moreover, Russia, who has resisted sanction calls against Iran, issued stronger criticism following Iran's announcement of higher level of uranium enrichment.

Russian security chief Nikolai Patrushev said Tuesday that Iran's actions "have raised doubts among other nations, and these doubts are quite well-founded."

As Gates finishes his European tour, a Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. defense chief wanted the sanction to be in force in "weeks, not months," underlining "time is of the essence."

For years, Western countries have suspected that the Islamic republic is enriching uranium to make a nuclear bomb, while Iran denied the accusation, saying it has the right to pursue its nuclear program for peaceful use.