Israel will press UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the need to impose even tougher sanctions against Iran during Ban's upcoming visit to the region, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, dpa reported.
Netanyahu told his cabinet he has spoken with French President Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and "congratulated them on the steps Europe took against Iran, both against the export of oil and against the central bank."
"In the coming days, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is coming to Israel and I will sit with him and talk about intensifying those sanctions," he said.
Ban is scheduled to visit Israel and the Palestinian areas this week, meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
His arrival comes as tensions between Iran and the West have intensified. Additionally, Israel and the Palestinians have concluded five rounds of "exploratory" talks in Amman and are on the brink of again breaking off direct contacts.
Ban said last week he would "encourage" the sides to continue the talks.