( Fars News Agency) Talks on a third round of sanctions against Iran seem to have failed before they even began, diplomats said late Friday.
Chinese envoy Guangya Wang told KUNA, "It is not the right move for the Security Council to have another (sanctions) resolution, because diplomacy is going on between the IAEA and Iran." Russian envoy Vitaly Churkin said Moscow also opposed new sanctions on Iran because they could increase tension and be counterproductive.
While US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters yesterday that "we are of the view that the time has come, given the non-compliance by Iran with two Security Council resolutions, to bring more pressure to bear through additional sanctions," a German diplomat said his government would prefer the "incremental" approach rather than additional sanctions.
The council's permanent members - US, UK, France, Russia and China - plus Germany discussed the Iran nuclear issue at the level of political directors Friday in Washington and their foreign ministers are scheduled to meet again next Friday.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will reportedly bring to the table a set of additional sanctions for discussion with her counterparts.
The council managed to pass only two resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran since last December - resolutions 1737 and 1747 - even though it warned of "further appropriate measures" every two months.