France's Sarkozy slams Iran's nuclear program

French President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened on Wednesday to press for tougher sanctions on Iran while developping nations agreed to back Iran's push to debate a ban on military attacks targeting nuclear facilities.

In his annual address to France's ambassadors, Sarkozy lambasted the leadership of Iran and said tougher sanctions would have to be discussed if Tehran does not change its position on the contentious nuclear program that the West believes is aimed at developing a nuclear bomb.

Iran says its program is aimed at civil nuclear energy but the standoff has been fuelled by Western criticism of its disputed June presidential election.

"It is the same leaders in Iran who say that the nuclear program is peaceful and that the elections were honest. Who can believe them?," Sarkozy said.

He said the issue would be discussed when world leaders meet in New York at the end of September and he said that if there were no change in Iran's stance, "the question of very substantial strengthening of sanctions will be clearly asked."

It is the same leaders in Iran who say that the nuclear program is peaceful and that the elections were honest. Who can believe them?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy

UN nuclear watchdog

Developing nations at the U.N. nuclear watchdog are backing Iran's push to debate a ban on military attacks targeting nuclear facilities at a meeting of the IAEA's 150 member nations next month.

Israel, which along with Western powers fears Iran's declared civilian nuclear energy program is a front for bombmaking, has not ruled out military action to prevent Tehran acquiring atom bombs and threatening the Jewish state.

In a letter to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, Egypt said Iran had the backing of the 118 nations in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for the topic to be discussed at the September meeting.

The Iranian proposal would require a simple majority for passage at the International Atomic Energy Agency's annual General Conference.

Iran is a member of NAM, a bloc which emphasizes Iran's right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop a civilian atomic program.

Iran says it is enriching uranium only for electricity and has refused to halt the program or lift all restrictions on IAEA inspections despite three rounds of U.N. sanctions.

IAEA member states have passed several resolutions, the latest in 1990 and also proposed by Iran, which ban "any armed attack on and threat against (peaceful) nuclear facilities".

But Iran says a legally-binding resolution is now needed because Israel had broken such bans in the past.

Sanctions

In 1981, an Israeli air strike destroyed Iraq's only nuclear reactor. Two years ago, Israel bombed a site in Syria that U.S. intelligence officials said was a North Korean-designed nuclear reactor under construction. Syria denies this.

Western diplomats said Iran's initiative grew from a wish to turn the spotlight away from its nuclear activities, rather than real concern about safety and security of nuclear sites.

"Unfortunately the main business of the General Conference will be overshadowed by these issues," a Western diplomat said.

A senior NAM diplomat said the proposal was well-intentioned in principle. "But of course the fact Iran proposed it stirs suspicions. It would have been different if Egypt or a Western country had done so," the diplomat said. "The Western group of course will try to block this initiative."

The IAEA is set to report later this week that the Islamic Republic has slowed the expansion of its uranium enrichment program and is cooperating more with the agency ahead of talks by major powers on a possible fourth round of sanctions.

Unfortunately the main business of the General Conference will be overshadowed by these issues

Western diplomat