June 7, 2011
Obama, Merkel discuss new Iran sanctions
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President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed imposing new sanctions on Iran.
“We agreed that if the International Atomic Energy Agency this week determines again that Iran is continuing to ignore its international obligations, then we will have no choice but to consider additional steps, including potentially additional sanctions, to intensify the pressure on the Iranian regime,” Obama said in a joint news conference after his meeting Tuesday with Merkel.
The Obama administration joined European nations a year ago in pushing through the U.N. Security Council enhanced sanctions targeting Iran’s financial institutions.
Merkel suggested that she would join the United States in pushing back against a Palestinian attempt to secure U.N. recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
“Unilateral measures are not helping at all to bring about this cause, and we agree that we wish to cooperate very closely on this because as we both say, time is of the essence,” the German leader said. “And looking at the changes in the Arab area and the Arab region, it would be a very good signal indeed if it came out that talks between the parties are again possible.”
