Germany would support a third round of United Nations sanctions against Iran if the regime continues to ignore the security council's demands to halt its nuclear enrichment program, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told U.S. President George W. Bush on Saturday.
President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas, Saturday.
(Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)
The two leaders met at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, to discuss further diplomatic pressure on Tehran. Merkel's two-day visit comes on the heels of Bush's talks last week with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in which Iran's nuclear program featured prominently.
"We were at one in saying that the threat posed through the nuclear program of Iran is indeed a serious one," Merkel told reporters at a joint press conference with Bush.
"We both share this view, but we also were of the opinion that we think that this issue can be solved through diplomatic means."
There has been increased speculation in recent months that the United States might launch an attack to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Bush reiterated on Saturday that he wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, but his administration has refused to rule out military action.
"What the Iranian regime must understand is that we will continue to work together to solve this problem diplomatically, which means they will continue to be isolated," he said.
Germany would also examine its own business ties with Iran, Merkel added.
In September, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the UN general assembly his country has a right to nuclear technology and declared the controversy surrounding the program officially closed.
The U.S. and some of its allies claim Iran's controversial nuclear program masks attempts to produce a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies it is seeking nuclear arms and that its uranium enrichment program — allowed under terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty — aims only to produce electricity.
The UN has imposed two rounds of limited sanctions for Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, a process which can be used to produce both nuclear fuel to produce electricity or, if taken far enough, material for nuclear weapons.
With files from the Associated PressRelated
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